Crimes of Passion
by EverDreamer
Summary: Valentine's Day is on the way and the daily lives of the Farron household are becoming more hectic. Between planning a wedding, exploring careers, and keeping secrets, the last thing everyone needs is a malicious villain determined to ruin their lives. Sequel to Christmas with Fang. FangxVanille, SnowxSerah, LightningxOC. R&R. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

Author's Note: Hello! This kind of a long author's note. I promise the next chapter will have a short one! Here is my newest story. It's a sequel to Christmas with Fang and consistent with The Simple Life. The story (along with the others in this AU series) follows some basic rules:

(1) There are no sequels to FFXIII. Christmas with Fang follows after the first game.

(2) For the purposes of this story/series, once the main characters are no longer l'Cie, they are completely human with no special abilities

(3) NORA is now an organization of law enforcers. The agents are a cross between police officers and detectives.

(4) The stories take place in the Troth, a town on the outskirts of Korrin, which is the capital city of New Cocoon, a settlement on Gran Pulse.

(5) A PMC (Portable Multipurpose Communicator) is essentially the smart phone of New Cocoon.

*I also should mention that when I started this story, it was originally supposed to be lighthearted like the others I have written so far. However, the story has taken a crime-drama turn that gets intense in some chapters. The other sequels will not likely be this way. I will still try to incorporate humor. I hope you enjoy the first chapter! :)

Disclaimer: FFXIII plot and characters belong to Square Enix. OCs and everything else belongs to me.

**Warnings****:** There will be adult situations, violence, sexually suggestive scenes, and lesbians. You've been warned.

**Edit: I made some minor edits due to some helpful critiques from dainlord and some other things I thought didn't make sense. Overall, the chapter did not change very much aside from one scene.

xxx

Warm sunlight trickled in through the window. A beam of light settled just across her face, penetrating the comfortable blankets piled on top of her. Her thick lashes fluttered and a soft groan escaped her lips before her green eyes blinked open. She looked to the clock, which told her that it was already seven thirty in the morning. Though fifteen extra minutes of sleep might have been nice, Fang decided that it was not worth it. She might as well just get up and get ready for work.

The Gran Pulsian woman sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes, and glanced to the side. She dimly registered the empty space beside her before she threw the blankets off of herself and slid out of bed. The pads of her feet touched the cold floor and she moved toward the bathroom for a warm shower. The water awoke her quickly, washing the sleep from her eyes as she worked suds into her messy black hair.

After she was finished showering, Fang went through the rest of her morning routine. She slipped into a fresh outfit and clipped her work badge to her waist before glancing at herself in the mirror. She ran a comb through her wet hair, not bothering to attempt to style it because it was always wild. The mirror was still steamy, so with a grin Fang left a note for Vanille in case she had not yet gotten ready for the morning. She ended her note with a heart and laughed at the silly message before turning around and walking into the hallway.

Fang was only halfway down the stairs when she heard the familiar voices in the kitchen, so she walked toward the noise and paused in the doorway, watching the exchange with a faint smile on her face.

"I really don't think I can do this, Vanille," Serah gasped, massaging her temples with her hands. "I'm too overwhelmed."

"Of course, you can do this, Serah. It's not as hard as it seems," Vanille promised gently, placing her hand reassuringly on Serah's shoulder. "I'll come with you today, and I swear we'll find something before the day's over."

Serah shook her head hopelessly, covering her eyes. "I'm going to be the worst bride in the world. Snow is going to have to marry a woman dressed in…in a brown sack!"

Vanille burst into giggles, squeezing Serah's shoulder. "You're not gonna have to marry him in a sack, Serah. Do you want to go shopping right now? I swear we'll find you a dress."

"I've been to every store in Troth and half the stores in Korrin," Serah protested miserably. "I don't think there are any dresses that I haven't seen yet. Everyone that I talked to told me that you should start shopping for your wedding dress as early as a year before the wedding. I'm running out of time, and what if I never find the perfect dress? It would be even worse if I found the perfect dress and couldn't afford it or there wasn't enough time for them to make alterations. How did I let this much time pass? This is a nightmare!"

"It'll be okay, Serah. I promise." Vanille smiled cheerfully. "At least you already ordered the invitations. Besides, you still have almost five months until the wedding."

"Four and a half months is _not_ enough time!" Serah gasped emotionally. "How am I going to do this? I should have gotten my dress _months_ ago. This will be the worst wedding ever."

"Try taking a deep breath, Serah," Fang exclaimed from the doorway, smiling in amusement. "You're on time with everything else for the wedding, right? I'm sure everything'll be fine."

"Fang!" Vanille smiled happily as she twisted in her seat to look at her. "I thought you were never gonna wake up."

Fang crossed the room to wrap her arms around Vanille's shoulders from behind and leaned forwards, smirking as she murmured close to her ear, "That used to be my line, if you remember."

"How times have changed," Vanille giggled as she placed her hands on top of Fang's arms and smiled faintly. "Do you wanna eat some breakfast? Serah made omelets and I convinced her to use some new spices."

"Oh yeah?" Fang smirked faintly. "You always did like to experiment with food."

Vanille nodded excitedly. "This time it turned out really good. You should have one."

"I'm planning on it," Fang replied with a smile as she kissed Vanille's cheek. "So, what's the wedding crisis this morning?"

"We're having some trouble finding Serah the perfect wedding dress," Vanille whispered as she pointed at Serah, who had buried her face in a bridal magazine and was scouring every page. "She's been trying to find the right dress for months, but there's nothing she likes."

"I bet you two find something today," Fang replied confidently. "There's gotta be a store left in the area that you haven't visited yet."

"You're right, Fang," Vanille agreed, raising her voice so that Serah would hear her. "We're gonna find an amazing store we missed, and then Serah's dress is gonna be right there at the front of the store. It'll be so perfect that they won't even have to make any alterations."

"I hope you're right, Vanille," Serah whispered gently. "Otherwise we might have to postpone the wedding, and I really don't want to do that. I think it would break Snow's heart."

Fang bit her lip to hide her smile. "Well, good luck, Serah. I'm sure you'll find something." Turning back to Vanille, Fang explained, "I'm gonna finish getting ready for work."

"You're gonna sit with me while you eat breakfast, right?" Vanille asked, pouting.

"Of course, I am," Fang replied with a laugh, pecking Vanille on the lips before moving toward the stove to take one of the omelets. "These smell really good."

"I told you." Vanille grinned excitedly. "You're gonna love them."

Fang carried her plate to the table and sat beside Vanille, pretending not to pay attention as she ate but listening rather intently as the two women continued planning for Serah's upcoming wedding.

"The bridesmaids' dresses are all in. That's at least something to be happy about," Serah told Vanille with a relieved sigh. "Did you get a chance to go in for your fitting? We have to make sure your dress doesn't need alterations right away."

"I already went in. The dress is a little big on me, so they're gonna make the waist smaller, but otherwise it fits perfectly. It looks really cute on me, too!"

"That's wonderful, Vanille." Serah frowned faintly. "Do you know if any of the others tried theirs on yet?"

"I think everyone but Lightning went in for their fittings already," Vanille replied gently, biting her lip. "I've been trying, but I haven't been able to convince her to go in yet."

"But she's the maid of honor!" Serah gasped anxiously. "Her dress has to be perfect. She'll be standing right next to me."

Fang raised her brow curiously, asking between bites of her omelet, "What's the maid of honor? Is that like the person that stands with you at the ceremony?"

Vanille nodded, explaining, "It's like Milla's sister at Konnor's wedding, except here the maid of honor helps the bride do most of the planning where in Oerba everyone in the family and all the bridesmaids had to help."

Fang smiled at Vanille. "You'd think you were the maid of honor with all the work you've been doing to help Serah."

"Claire is very busy. Otherwise, she would help me," Serah told Fang, though she did not know if that was true. "I think she only said she would be the maid of honor because I'm her little sister. There isn't any way that she would have enough time to really carry out her responsibilities."

Fang made a noise of acknowledgement. "So, I heard they have really big cakes in Cocoon-style weddings. How d'you choose what kind you get?"

Serah frowned, anxiously. "I have to do that soon too! I have to go to as many bakeries as I can and they will let me have free samples of the cake. Then when I find a cake that I like, I order it and they will have one ready for the wedding day."

"Well, don't worry about a thing, Serah," Fang told her cheerfully. "I volunteer to help you taste-test as many cakes as you need."

Vanille giggled and hugged Fang's arm, resting her cheek against her shoulder. "Fang, that's something Serah should do with Snow."

"So what?" Fang challenged with a playful look. "Who says we can't go too?"

"You two can both come with us," Serah interjected, sighing as she braced her arms against the table. "Planning a wedding is so stressful. I need all the help I can get."

"If I were you, I'd give up on this crazy Cocoon-style ceremony and get hitched the Gran Pulsian way. The way they did it in Oerba, there was hardly any planning at all," Fang exclaimed as she kissed the top of Vanille's head and pulled away to clean up her breakfast plate. "All you'd really have to do was memorize the traditional vows and plan a banquet, but that wasn't really any harder than choosing what you wanted to eat."

"Fang, that's because the priests and the family would take care of the rest," Vanille argued gently, smiling.

"Even without them, everyone knew what to do," Fang shrugged, glancing up at the clock. "Anyway, I've gotta get going. I don't wanna be late."

"I'll be right back," Vanille told Serah as she skipped out of her seat to follow Fang.

Fang gathered up everything that she would need for work and pulled her jacket around her shoulders before turning to face Vanille with a grin. "Are you here to say goodbye?"

"Nope. I'm here to ask if you've really gotta go," Vanille replied with a pout as she stepped forwards and pressed against Fang. "You could just stay here with us and…"

"And go dress shopping all day?" Fang teased, wrapping her arms around her waist. "That sounds fun, but I have to work. We can't live with Light forever, Vanille, or she's bound to find a way to kill me one of these days."

"But you two haven't been fighting at all," Vanille protested, pouting. "I like it better when you stay home with me every day."

Fang laughed lightly, hugging her closer. "I promise we'll still get to spend a lot of time together. Besides, this is nicer than when I was a hunter, isn't it? You get to see me every night and I'll get weekends off once I've been working for a while."

"I guess that's true, but Snow and Lightning never take weekends off," Vanille argued, nuzzling against Fang's shoulder. "Doesn't that mean you won't either?"

"No. They both work way too hard," Fang replied with a chuckle.

Vanille offered a faint smile. "I know what I'll do while you're gone. I'll open a jewelry store."

"Oh, yeah?" Fang grinned. "Is it gonna be ready by the time I get home?"

The younger woman giggled, shaking her head. "I didn't mean today, Fang. It's just something I wanna do."

Fang shrugged. "Well, you might wanna start selling some stuff first. Right now we don't even have the money for a house, but I bet you could open a stand in the market once it gets warm outside."

"That's a good idea." Vanille smiled faintly before leaning up to press a quick kiss to Fang's lips. "Be careful today, Fang. You always pick dangerous jobs."

"It's not that dangerous," Fang promised, giving her another kiss before pulling gently away. "Nothing ever happens in Troth. That's why Light moved here, remember?"

Vanille nodded, taking a step back and waving. "Bye Fang. See you tonight!"

"You, too." Fang turned toward the door. "Good luck finding Serah's dress."

Xxx

"Lightning, what are you doing here so early?"

Lightning looked up from a pile of papers and frowned at her coworker, who she had seen many times even though she could not remember his name. "I'm doing paperwork."

"Oh." He shrugged, offering a friendly smile. "That stuff piles up, huh? I never take care if it when I should, and then I'm pulling all nighters before I know it."

The ex-soldier gave an indifferent shrug. "I get to it whenever I can. The other work is more important."

"I know, but the law doesn't see it that way." He chuckled lightly. "Anyway, the boss wants to see you. He asked me to let you know."

Lightning furrowed her brows, because she could not think of any reason that her boss should want to talk to her during the day when they saw each other so often. She immediately stood up and gathered the papers on her desk into a neat pile, hiding the more important files on the bottom because her coworkers had a habit of peeking at her cases. There were very few disturbances in the quiet town of Troth, so as an agent of the local NORA department, there was very little in Lightning's case files that would be of interest to anyone. However, everyone had found out very quickly that Lightning had been involved with the army in the past, and they assumed quite incorrectly that she must receive all the most dangerous cases. It seemed that no one could help checking for themselves, though they were always disappointed.

When Lightning turned, she realized that the officer was still standing there looking at her and narrowed her eyes. "Do you need something else?"

He frowned awkwardly. "Er, no, sorry."

Lightning pursed her lips before a moment before moving quickly past him and heading toward the hallway.

Kathi, another one of her coworkers, stopped her as she passed by her desk. "Hey, Lightning, are you going to see the boss?"

The ex-soldier frowned suspiciously. "Yes."

"Great! Could you bring this folder up to him for me? He wanted to take a look at my latest case, but I haven't had a chance to deliver this to him yet." The other woman laughed awkwardly. "I don't know why he's checking up on me all the sudden. The report was just another wild animal bothering some of the houses on the forest line."

"I'll take it," Lightning muttered, frowning.

"Thanks. You're saving me a trip."

Lightning gave a noncommittal nod and turned away, quickening her pace so that no one else would bother her as she walked out into the hallway and through the door that led to the stairwell. She climbed up to the second floor of Troth's NORA Headquarters and ignored her coworkers, who did not smile and wave at her because they had learned that she was unlikely to react other than to look uncomfortable. Whenever someone would ask her a direct question, Lightning would always answer and try to be helpful, but otherwise she remained mostly to herself.

As soon as she reached the boss' office, Lightning pushed the door open without knocking and stomped inside. With narrowed eyes, she demanded, "What do you want? I was doing paperwork."

"Now, Light, is that any way to talk to your boss?"

Lightning's eyebrow twitched as she turned to the side and noticed that Fang was sitting on one of the two chairs in front of the boss' desk, her legs propped up on the furniture. She was smirking.

"Snow, what is she doing here?" Lightning asked with a frown.

"I work here now. Didn't anyone tell you?" Fang asked with a grin. "I've got more good news, too. Wanna hear it?"

"Are you finally moving out?"

Fang pouted humorously. "Aw, Light, I thought we were getting along so well."

Lightning rolled her eyes. "That's only because Vanille made you sign that stupid contract saying you wouldn't play any more pranks on us, but I know you won't stop."

"Well, I won't stop completely." Fang grinned faintly. "Vanille made an allowance in the contract for a few pranks here and there 'cause I just can't be helped."

Lightning sighed and looked at Snow. "Why am I here?"

"Some officials in Korrin voted in a New Cocoon-wide policy for NORA," Snow explained with a cheerful smile. "Every NORA officer must now travel with a partner for their own safety. You're the only person in the department who still isn't following that rule."

"That's because I don't need a partner," Lightning told him stiffly.

"Lightning, it's a NORA policy," Snow argued gently. "I'm not the leader of the organization anymore. They elected a Chief of Agents. He gets to make the big decisions."

"What if I refuse to follow the policy?" Lightning challenged.

"Then your brother here gets in trouble," Fang explained with a teasing look. "We wouldn't want that, now would we?"

Lightning narrowed her eyes in warning, but she knew that she could not keep correcting them for long. Snow was absolutely going to marry her sister in five months, so whether she liked it or not, he was going to be her brother-in-law. While she preferred him to anyone else that might be interested in Serah, she did not know if she could get used to the idea of allowing someone else into her family.

"Most of the others in the department are afraid to work with you, so I thought assigning you and Fang together would be a perfect solution," Snow explained finally. "You already know each other, you worked well together when we were fighting as l'Cie, and you're pretty evenly matched in strength."

"I don't want to be Fang's partner," Lightning told him firmly. "She doesn't take anything seriously."

"And you take everything _too_ seriously," Fang corrected, grinning. "We're prefect for each other, Light."

"I don't need a partner," Lightning scoffed. "And don't say we're perfect for each other. You have Vanille."

Fang smirked, raising her brow. "Why d'you always assume I mean it romantically when I say things like that? Is there something you're not telling me?"

Lightning rolled her eyes. "I'm not working with her."

"Come on. We're all friends," Snow told Lightning gently. "Fang was just kidding. I know the two of you will work really well together."

"Yeah, come on, Light. We're a perfectly good team."

Even though she frowned, Lightning knew that out of everyone in NORA, Fang would be the most likely to be able to keep up with her. "Fine, but don't get in my way."

"Now, Light, let's not kid ourselves." Fang smiled playfully. "You'd be the one getting in my way."

Lightning merely scoffed.

"Fang, your new desk is right across from Lightning's," Snow explained quickly. "Go ahead and move your stuff. Then get ready for your next assignment. There was a disturbance on the outskirts of town. I want you two to check it out."

"Sure thing, boss!" Fang called enthusiastically, grinning over her shoulder as she followed Lightning out the door.

"You're going to have to learn to be professional if you want to keep this job," Lighting criticized as she picked up her pace.

"I can be _very_ professional," Fang replied with an eager grin. "I'm glad to be working with you, Light. This is gonna be fun."

"Right." Lightning rolled her eyes. "_Fun_."

Xxx

"Give me the keys," Lightning grunted as she and Fang approached NORA air car that was provided to them while they were on duty. "I'm driving."

"Why can't I drive?" Fang asked with a grin.

"You were asleep for hundreds of years, and when you were a kid you traveled via chocobo," Lightning replied firmly, snatching the keys out of Fang's hand.

"Drive all you want, but Vanille and I both passed our driver's tests," Fang replied as she slid into the passenger seat. Laughing, she added, "And we didn't travel via chocobo except for longer journeys."

Lightning ignored her as she waited for the air car to power up and hover off of the ground. Once they were ready to leave, she turned on the siren and blasted out of the parking lot, taking a sharp turn at the corner without even looking both ways.

"Yeah, I can see where you didn't want me to drive," Fang joked sarcastically. "You're loads safer than I am."

"We're responding to a disturbance," Lightning replied calmly without looking at her. "We have to hurry."

Fang merely laughed.

As the ride continued, Fang poked the handgun on her lap and frowned faintly. "I can't believe Snow wants me to use one of these. I'm way better with my staff."

Lightning rolled her eyes. "You can't fight someone with a gun if all you have is a staff."

"I fought fal'Cie with that staff. I think I can handle myself."

"Fine, but if you get killed, I'm _not_ filling out the paperwork."

"I'm glad you're so concerned for my safety," Fang replied with a chuckle.

Lightning reached the edge of town in record time and set the air car down on the side of the road before hopping out of the vehicle. She closed her door and did not bother waiting for Fang as she moved promptly toward the broken down house which had been abandoned only a month after the people of Cocoon had first began to settle on the surface of Gran Pulse. There were no other houses except for a small farmhouse a ways down the street.

"The other house must have called in the disturbance," Lightning mumbled, mostly to herself. She was used to working alone.

Fang nodded in agreement. "They said they heard strange noises coming from inside the house when they were walking by, but the place looks deserted to me. You think there's a squatter?"

"It doesn't matter what I think. We're about to find out." Lightning took a step forwards, shoulders squared. "Stay behind me."

"I'm the one who's stronger, so maybe you should stay behind me," Fang teased.

Lightning narrowed her eyes. "You're not stronger, and I'm the one who can shoot a gun."

"I can shoot it. I just don't trust it as much as my staff," Fang argued, laughing. "Now, hurry up if you wanna go first. While we're arguing, the person squatting inside's gonna get away."

"Who's squatting?"

Both women spun around, but there was no time for either to draw their weapons. The man standing behind them was tall and heavyset with long brown hair and a thick beard. He wore a loose checkered shirt and black, but it was easy to tell that he was muscular. It also seemed clear that he was dangerous, because he was armed and aiming a low-grade weapon at Lightning's head.

"You better put your guns away, ladies, and tell me what the hell you're doing on my property."

"This isn't your property," Lightning told him firmly. "This is an unregistered house. Now, put your gun away unless you want to be arrested for obstructing a NORA agent."

"NORA?" His eyes widened in surprise as he noticed the badges clipped to their waist and immediately lowered his gun. "You should start wearing uniforms! I didn't know who you were. I almost shot you."

Lightning rolled her eyes. "I hope you have a permit for that weapon, because otherwise you're under arrest."

"Of course, I have a permit," he insisted.

"Let's see it then," Fang prompted, raising her brow.

"I don't have it _on_ me," he grumbled irritably. "Do you carry your permit when you walk around?"

"We don't have to carry permits. That's what these badges are for," Fang replied, pointing to the badge pinned to her waist.

"And civilians aren't allowed to carry concealed weapons," Lightning added.

"The permit is inside the house. Just let me go get it," the man requested.

"Let you go get your permit from the house where you're trespassing?" Fang raised her brow, laughing. "You've gotta be kidding."

"I own it!" He protested. "It's my property."

"It's unlisted," Lightning corrected with narrowed eyes.

"It may be unlisted, but it's mine now. No one lived here, so I moved in." He holstered his gun and crossed his arms. "I was going to register with the town today after I figured out how much time and money it would take me to remodel."

"You can't just move in wherever you want," Lightning grumbled, though she lowered her weapon. "It may be abandoned, but this house is town property."

"Well, that doesn't mean much to me, now does it?" He sneered coldly. 'Why don't you two ladies get off my property? I'll register with the town first thing this afternoon. Then you won't be bothering me anymore unless you've got a warrant."

"What could we need a warrant for?" Fang asked with a faint smirk. "You're not hiding something in that house with your imaginary gun permit, are you? 'Cause the way I see it, the property's not yours yet. We could search it right now if we wanted."

"I'm not hiding anything. I just don't want you messing with my stuff. Don't you have something better to be doing? I'm sure there are real criminals out there."

"I think we should take him in for questioning," Lightning told Fang as she reached for the handcuffs at her side, though she mostly just wanted to bring him to the station to annoy him like he was irritating her.

"Well, he _is_ technically trespassing," Fang agreed. "And we still haven't seen any papers for that gun."

"They're inside!" He gasped.

The radio on Fang's side suddenly crackled, causing both women to look away. "Unit 2, please respond to a robbery on the Troth Main Strip. The story is called Dara's Boutique. Address is 45B Main Street..."

As the radio droned on, Fang grumbled. "Cuff him quickly, Light. We've gotta go. We'll come back later to find out what's in that house."

Lightning nodded, turning her attention back to the suspect, but she narrowed her eyes when she saw that he was gone. "Where the hell did he go?"

Fang turned and scanned the area, her eyes narrowed. "The footprints lead into the woods. How'd he get away with us both standing right here?"

Lightning shook her head irritably. "Let's just go. We'll come back later."

Fang stood still for a moment, her narrowed eyes scanning the forest line, before she finally turned away. She waited until they were inside the air car to ask, "What do you think he's hiding in there?"

"I don't know." Lightning shrugged, staring out the front window. "If we get another call, we'll find out. Otherwise, it doesn't matter."

Xxx

Lightning had to stay at the NORA headquarters later than the others because she had more paperwork to fill out, but Snow came home early that afternoon. He and Fang parked their air cars in the driveway at almost the same time, so Snow waited by his car until Fang had gotten out of her vehicle.

"How was your first day working with Claire?" Snow asked cheerfully.

Fang gave an indifferent shrug. "It was fine. Light's still annoyed about it, but I think she'll warm up to the idea pretty quickly."

Snow nodded, glancing at her as he began to walk toward the house. "I know you had to sort out the robbery, but what caused the disturbance on the edge of town?"

"There was some idiot claiming he decided to move in when he saw no one was living there," Fang explained quickly. "He looked pretty suspicious and he had a gun, but we don't know for sure that he did anything wrong other than trespassing. He said he was gonna register with the town, but I guess we'll see what happens."

"Maybe I'll have some other agents drive by the house tonight and see if he's still there," Snow replied. With a nostalgic smile, he added, "I wish I still went on patrol. I miss actually catching the bad guys, but things have been changing so quickly at NORA now that they put the Chief of Agents in place."

Fang frowned faintly. "How come you're not the chief? The entire NORA organization was basically your idea. I can't believe they've got so many rules already when we've only been here around a year."

"Well, they made a council to make all of NORA's decisions pretty quickly, and the government took over after that," Snow replied with a shrug. "I don't know if I would want to be in charge of the entire organization anyway. It's a pretty big responsibility. I'm fine just overseeing what happens at our NORA headquarters."

"Well, I guess it's fine if you don't mind. It's too bad you can't patrol though. I'd hate sitting in an office all day."

"It does get kind of boring," Snow admitted with an awkward laugh.

"At least you're making the most money out of everyone there," Fang suggested humorously. "That's gotta make up for it some, right?"

Snow laughed. "I guess. Anyway, thanks for giving Claire a chance. No one wanted to work with her. She isn't very social at work."

"Light not being social? I can't imagine that at all," Fang joked, grinning eagerly. "Besides, working with her is gonna be a blast. She's my favorite person to play with."

With furrowed brows, Snow asked, "You're not going to play any more pranks, are you? Serah told me about the contract Vanille made you sign."

"I'd never break a promise to Vanille," Fang told him with an evil glint in her eyes.

Snow gulped, wondering if it had been a mistake to assign them together.

"Relax," Fang told him with a chuckle, thumping his shoulder. "I'm kidding. I don't go around making Vanille angry if I can help it."

"Oh, good." Snow laughed with relief as he tugged open the front door, but he was practically tackled outside again as a small form collided with him. His eyes widened in surprise as he looked down at the teenager who had run straight into him. "Hope?"

Hope stumbled backwards, his eyes widening with surprise, and laughed awkwardly. "Sorry. I was just going outside."

"Were you gonna run straight into the door?" Fang teased.

"No." He frowned faintly. "I was going to open it. I just wasn't looking. Anyway, Snow, I'm _so_ glad to see you. I need your help really badly."

"What'd you do now?" Fang asked with a grin.

"Nothing," Hope answered too quickly. "I just need Snow's advice about something."

"What are you doing here, Hope? Did your dad drop you off?" Snow asked as he glanced around for Hope's father. "I thought you were in school."

"We have two weeks off for winter break and Serah said I could visit you guys, remember?" Hope asked impatiently. "So, will you give me some advice or not?"

"Of course, I will." Snow smiled eagerly, glad that his wisdom was appreciated by someone. "What do you need?"

"Well, it's kind of personal." Hope glared at Fang.

"I'm not even listening," Fang told him gently as she turned away. "I'll just put my coat away and get out of here."

Hope watched her suspiciously before lowering his voice and moving closer to Snow. "Okay, so, there's this girl I like at school. I asked her to go to the Valentine's Day dance with me three weekends from now. I thought she would say no, but she said yes. I have to make the night really special so she'll go out with me, but I don't know what to do!"

"Oh, wow." Snow grinned and ruffled Hope's hair. "You're growing up, aren't you?"

Hope pulled awkwardly away. "I really need advice, Snow. Serah agreed to marry you, so you must be good at this."

"I guess so," Snow replied humorously before tilting his head thoughtfully. "Okay, let's see. Valentine's Day…uh, you could take her out to a nice dinner before the dance or you could see a romantic movie after the dance."

"Not so loud!" Hope protested, noticing that Fang was taking a very long time to put away her boots.

"Don't worry, kiddo. I'm not even listening," Fang informed him with a teasing look. "But if you want a really good date, go to the movies. You can't make out in a restaurant."

Hope's face turned red. "I-I don't know if she wants to make out with me."

"One way to find out," Fang replied with a wink. "Anyway, I'm off to find Vanille. See you two for dinner."

Snow placed his hand on Hope's shoulder. "If you're not ready to be that close, there's nothing wrong with that, Hope. You should take this girl out to a nice, romantic dinner. Then she'll know that you're serious."

"But what if she does want to make out or something?" Hope asked with a sigh. "Then she'll be disappointed and she won't go out with me."

"That's not the way it works," Snow promised. "If she likes you, she'll be able to wait a few dates for kissing."

"Do you think so?" Hope asked, feeling very awkward. It was not that he did not want to kiss on their first date, but rather that it would be his first kiss and he did not want to mess up.

"I'm positive," Snow replied encouragingly. He glanced around the room to make sure Fang was no longer with them before lowering his voice. "I'm really glad you asked someone out, Hope. It's good to get over Vanille."

Hope nodded, shifting uncomfortably. "I know. It's still hard to look at her sometimes. I can't help but think if it weren't for Fang…"

There were suddenly footsteps on the stairs, causing Hope to clamp his mouth shut.

"Hope, I didn't realize you were going to be here so early," Serah exclaimed as she appeared at the foot of the stairs, looking very frazzled. "I-I didn't even get anything ready for you, and I have so much to do. I completely forgot. I just…"

"Serah, are you okay?" Snow asked with a frown as he noticed her wide eyes.

"I-I'm fine, Snow. Were the two of you talking? I don't want to interrupt."

Snow furrowed his brows, taking a step toward her. "What is it?"

"I really don't want to interrupted," Serah repeated. 'But Snow, I really need your help. The banquet hall just sent over a few different pictures to help us decide what we want the reception to look like, and I'm completely overwhelmed. None of the pictures look like what I wanted."

"Will you be okay now, Hope?" Snow asked quietly, patting his shoulder.

"Yeah. You can go help Serah," Hope replied, feeling intimidated by Serah's rather firm look. "I'll just play video games until Lightning gets home or something."

"Thank you, Hope. I really appreciate it." Serah walked across the room to take Snow's hand and tugged him toward the kitchen. "Come on, Snow. They want us to call them as soon as possible about our choice, but I still haven't even found a wedding dress and Lightning won't try on her maid of honor dress. The entire wedding is turning into a disaster!"

Snow wrapped his arm around her. "Serah, when was the last time you slept?"

"How could you ask me that?!" Serah's eyes filled with tears. "There's no time to sleep!"

Snow's eyes widened with surprise. "O-Okay. Let's just call the banquet hall. Maybe they have some other suggestions."

Xxx

Fang walked up the attic stairs and pushed her bedroom door open, but the sight before her eyes caused her to raise her brow in surprise. The room was completely dark, the curtains drawn tightly shut and all the lights turned off, and Vanille was sitting on the bed staring at her. The younger woman looked guilty as though she had been caught stealing something, but she relaxed when she saw that it was only Fang.

"What's going on?" Fang asked curiously.

"Shut the door quickly, Fang," Vanille requested nervously.

Fang stepped into the room and shut the door. Then she kicked her boots off and walked toward the bed, climbing onto the other side of the mattress. "So, any reason you're sitting here in the dark staring at the door like it's gonna eat you?"

With a nervous laugh, the younger woman admitted, "I told Serah I was feeling sick and needed rest. When you opened the door, I thought it was her."

"Would she really just walk in here without even knocking?"

"She did earlier," Vanille explained gravely.

Fang smiled wryly. "So, why're you hiding from her?"

"Well, this morning everything was fine," Vanille began dramatically, lowering her voice as though someone were listening. "Right after you left, we checked all the stores in Troth again and then we went into Korrin. We shopped all the way until lunch, and Serah was starting to get sad that she couldn't find anything, so I suggested we stop and get something to eat. Then after we ate, she insisted we should go back to some of the stores she already looked at on her own. While we were there, I found a lot of dresses _I_ liked, but Serah didn't like a single one of them. Everything was too frilly or lacey or she didn't like the bodice or the skirt was too fluffy…"

Fang laughed, wrapping her arm around Vanille's shoulders and pulling her close. "So, what happened to make a girl who can kill a bear with nothing but a knife go hide in her bedroom?"

Vanille giggled, nuzzling against Fang's chest as she hugged her tightly. "Serah started getting really upset after a while, so I told her we'd come back tomorrow, but the second we got home, she started looking at dresses on the internet and made me look with her. She hated everything I liked, so I said maybe she should wait for Lightning to get home, but then she started panicking because Lightning won't try on her maid of honor dress. I was getting so stressed just listening to her that I couldn't take it anymore, and she wouldn't let me leave!"

"Well, that's what happens when you agree to help someone plan a wedding, isn't it?" Fang teased, kissing the top of Vanille's head and running her fingers through her hair.

"It was a lot easier helping people in Oerba plan their weddings," Vanille replied with a pout. "I wanted to help, but I didn't know it'd be this hard."

"She does seem really stressed about it," Fang mused as she rested her cheek against Vanille's hair and wrapped her arms around her. "I should get up and change my clothes, but I wanna lie here with you."

"I don't want you to get up," Vanille told her firmly, cuddling close and closing her eyes. "We should take a nap, since I can't leave the room again until tomorrow."

Fang snickered. "You can't even come down for dinner?"

Vanille shook her head, looking up at Fang with puppy eyes. "I thought you'd bring me something after you ate. You won't let me starve, right Fang?"

"No, I won't let you starve." Fang grinned and leaned forwards to kiss her lips. As she pulled back, she grumbled, "When we get married, we're not doing any of this Cocoon-style nonsense. I want an easy Gran Pulsian wedding."

Vanille bit her lip, smiling widely. "Are you getting married, Fang?"

"Someday, probably." Fang shrugged. "Don't you wanna?"

"Of course, I do!" Vanille squealed cheerfully, throwing her arms around Fang's neck and crushing her in a hug. "Will they let us?"

"Yeah, I checked." Fang smiled wryly. "What're you so excited for? We're practically married anyway."

"It doesn't matter," Vanille informed her firmly. "So, when are we getting married?"

Fang laughed, shaking her head. "I shouldn't have said anything. All I can tell you is we can't schedule it any time in the next five months or Serah'll turn into a monster and eat us."

"Oh, you're right, Fang. I didn't even think of that." Vanille looked thoughtful for only a moment before her excited smile returned. "I can't wait!"

The dark-haired woman laughed lightly. "I'm glad you're so excited."

A knock on the door suddenly silenced the two of them.

"Vanille, are you feeling any better?" Serah called through the door, her voice sounding strained. "I found another dress website and I really need your help."

Vanille gasped and pulled back to look at Fang. "What do I say?"

"Don't worry about a thing, Vanille. I know exactly what to say," Fang with a smirk before shouting toward the door, "Serah, Vanille's feeling loads better, but she's a little busy right now. Think you can come back later? We're…right in the middle of something."

"Fang!" Vanille whispered, giggling as she hit her shoulder.

"O-Oh," Serah replied awkwardly. "I'll just…see you two when you come downstairs for dinner. S-Sorry to interrupt."

"There, see?" Fang grinned teasingly. "All gone."

Vanille gave a grateful smile and leaned forwards to kiss Fang's lips with a little more passion than her companion expected. As she pulled away, she shrugged and grinned playfully. "Well, you know, since she thinks we're busy anyways…"

"Yeah?" Fang prompted, feigning innocence.

Vanille grinned and placed her hands on either side of Fang's face, guiding the dark-haired woman to her lips and giving her another sensual kiss.

"I guess we've got some time before dinner," Fang teased, smirking as she leaned in to kiss her again.

Vanille giggled. "Who says we have to be on time for dinner anyways?"

Fang nodded in agreement, laughing. "They're not gonna come looking for us after what I told Serah."

Vanille laughed and wrapped her arms around Fang's neck, guiding her closer. Fang leaned in to capture Vanille's lips again, teasing her with a playful nip before deepening their kiss. Her thigh slid between Vanille's legs, pressing against her, and she suddenly pulled away to graze her lips along Vanille's jaw line as her fingers slid tantalizingly slowly up her abdomen.

Amidst a noise of desire, Vanille took Fang's face into her hands and drew her back to her lips, kissing her passionately as she nudged her onto her side. Once they were lying next to each other, she slid closer, her body flush against Fang's, and their lips locked together fiercely. They held each other close for a long time, relishing in the feeling of soft lips meshing together, before their hands began to stray. With heated urgency, they worked their tops over their heads and pressed to each other, sighing at the feeling of their bare chests coming together. As Fang began to loosen the ties on her skirt, the younger woman ducked her head down to kiss her collarbone, her fingers sliding up Fang's toned abdomen.

Vanille was halfway out of her skirt when there was another knock on the door.

Fang sighed with irritation, raising her voice, "What is it?"

"I-I'm really sorry to interrupted," Serah began nervously.

"Serah, if you're here to ask Vanille to go downstairs and look at wedding dresses right now, I swear I'll choose your dress for you and make you wear it from now until the wedding," Fang informed her, mostly kidding.

"It's not that!" Serah squeaked awkwardly. "Actually, Fang, you left your PMC downstairs and it's ringing."

"Whoever's calling can wait. Just leave it outside the door," Fang instructed, breathing sharply as Vanille dipped lower, kissing her chest.

"O-Okay. I'll see you two later!" Serah shouted through the door before she scurried down the hallway.

"Poor thing, having to interrupt us like that," Fang murmured teasingly.

"It was probably embarrassing for her," Vanille agreed with a grin as she pulled back to look at Fang.

Fang shrugged, smirking. She took Vanille by the hips and turned her on her back, positioning herself between her legs as she leaned down to kiss her again. "Now, where were we?"

Xxx

A while later, they still lay in each other's arms, completely nude beneath the blankets.

"I should probably go check that call," Fang murmured.

Vanille shook her head, snuggling against her. "You can't get out of bed, Fang, or I'll be freezing."

Fang laughed lightly, kissing her shoulder. "We can't stay here all night. What if it was an important call?"

"What's more important than keeping me warm?" Vanille asked with a playful pout.

With a grin, the older Gran Pulsian woman pulled Vanille into her arms and kissed her. "Nothing's more important than that."

Vanille giggled and hugged her close. "Do you think dinner will be ready soon?"

"Why? Do you need some more energy after I wore you out?" Fang teased.

"I was just curious," Vanille replied with a chuckle.

Fang smiled, running her fingers through her hair. "I should get up and check. Now that I'm working with NORA, calls could mean someone's hurt."

Vanille sighed. "I guess I can keep myself warm."

"I'll be right back," Fang promised as she released her love and climbed out of bed, slipping back into her undergarments. She seemed heedless of anyone catching her in her underwear as she opened the bedroom door and tugged her PMC into the room.

"Fang, what if someone sees you?" Vanille giggled from the bed.

"I don't see why anyone should come up to the attic," Fang told her with a smile as she shut the door and leaned against it, scrolling through her missed calls on the touch screen.

"Was it important?" Vanille asked curiously.

Fang shook her head. "Nope. It looks like it was just a wrong number. I was wrong though. It _is _almost dinner time. Want me to go check and see if it's ready?"

"Sure," Vanille shrugged as she slipped out of bed and began to redress. "I'm gonna stay up here and work on some jewelry while I have a few minutes. I found some really pretty beads while Serah and I were shopping. If I make a bracelet for you, will you wear it?"

"That depends on what it looks like," Fang replied with a wry smile.

"You'll like it, Fang. I promise." Vanille smiled lovingly as she crossed the room and stood on her toes to peck her lips. "If Serah asks where I am, tell her I feel sick again."

Fang snickered. "How about I just tell her I tired you out and you need some recovery time?"

"Fang!" Vanille blushed, shaking her head. "You can't tell her that."

"Why not? I used to tell Konnor that all the time."

"You did not!" Vanille laughed.

"You're right, I didn't. I think he assumed it sometimes though," Fang replied with a wink. "See you soon."

Vanille nodded firmly. "Come back upstairs if dinner's not gonna be ready soon. It's still cold even with my clothes on."

"All right, but I'm gonna check on the dogs first. They were outside with Hope last I saw them. I don't want him to let them out of the fence until they're better trained."

"Okay. You can play with them for a while if you want."

Fang grinned. "How'd you know I wanted to do that?"

Vanille merely smiled.

Xxx

Fang closed the bedroom door behind her and walked quickly down the stairs, dodging away from the kitchen when she saw that Serah and Snow were dealing with some kind of wedding crisis. She knew that she would eventually have to go into the room, because it would be the only way to check if Hope was still in the backyard, but she was distracted as she noticed Lightning was on her way out of the house.

"Light, I didn't even know you were home," Fang commented, raising her brow as she noticed that the other woman had changed her clothes and touched up her makeup. "You look nice."

"I'm on my way out," Lightning replied briskly. "See you later."

"Out where?" Fang asked suspiciously.

Swiftly, the ex-soldier answered, "I have more work to do at the office."

"You got dressed up all nice to go back to the office?" Fang asked with a teasing look. "Come on, Light. Where're you really going?"

"That's none of your business," Lightning replied firmly before turning and stomping out the door.

Fang blinked curiously. "Now, what was that about?"

Snow suddenly exited the kitchen with a sigh of relief and sunk down onto the couch. "I don't know how she does this every day. Planning a wedding is way harder than I realized."

Fang smiled sympathetically. "Where'd Lightning just go? And is Hope still outside?"

"No. He's down in the basement talking to his dad on the computer. I'm assuming he has the dogs down there, too." Snow smiled faintly. "They've been really quiet lately."

"It's in their nature. They only bark when they're having fun or when they're being threatened," Fang replied with a shrug. "What about Lightning?"

Snow shrugged. "She said she had some more work to do at the office."

"Interesting." Fang glanced toward the window. "What're you up to, Lightning Farron?"

"What do you mean?" Serah asked as she suddenly walked out of the kitchen. "Claire said she couldn't go try on her dress tonight because she had more work to do. Was she lying to me?"

"Beats me," Fang replied with a shrug. "Did she happen to say she'd be there past dinner time?"

Serah nodded. "She said not to wait for her."

Fang smirked faintly. "Maybe I'll pop by the office, too. I could stand to get a head start on some of that paperwork I've been ignoring."

Snow nodded in agreement. "Take it from me. That stuff piles up."

Fang sunk into her thoughts, contemplating whether or not it was worth it to go back to the office just to catch Lightning in a lie.

After Serah walked back into the kitchen, Snow suddenly leaned towards Fang, lowering his voice. "Have you given any thought to Valentine's Day?"

Fang grinned. "Did you wanna ask me advice like Hope?"

"I didn't really want advice." Snow chuckled. "I just completely forgot about Valentine's Day. I still have a few weeks to plan, but I know I should do something really special for Serah. With all the wedding planning, she's totally overwhelmed."

"That's a good idea. Do something to get her mind off all the stress," Fang suggested.

"What are you doing for Vanille? Or is she doing something for you?" Snow gave her a quizzical look. "Usually the guy plans something nice for the girl but…well…"

"Since there's no guy and all?" Fang asked in amusement. "Well, since this is our first time ever celebrating this holiday, I decided to take Vanille hiking through the woods for the weekend. We can camp out in the forest and cook our own food."

"Are you going to bring Kiwi?" Snow asked curiously.

"I haven't decided yet," Fang replied with a shrug. "Kiwi likes the snow, but it'll still be pretty cold out and Vanille and I are gonna want some private time in the tent if you know what I mean. I'd hate to leave the dog outside to freeze."

Snow laughed. "I wouldn't have even thought of that."

"Then again, I dunno if I want to leave them here with Light. They tore up some of the pillows in her bedroom and she threatened to sell them both."

"I'm surprised you're going camping. I thought Vanille might like something more romantic."

"Camping can be _very_ romantic," Fang assured him with a smirk. "All alone in a tent with nothing around but the cold and scary animals…it'll be just like when we lived in Oerba, except it wasn't as cold there."

"Did you go camping a lot?" Snow asked curiously.

"Only a few times, but we would've gone more if we got the chance before we became l'Cie." Fang smiled faintly. "Trust me, Vanille loves camping. What're you gonna to for Serah?"

"I don't really know yet." Snow sighed miserably.

"Well, if you want some advice—"

"Take her to the movies, I know," Snow laughed.

The Gran Pulsian woman shook her head, wrapping her arm around his shoulders. "Actually, going to the movies is the PG version for Hope. For you and Serah, I'd suggest a weekend getaway at a nice inn. I hear they're expanding New Cocoon on every side of Korrin, so there has to be a nice country inn somewhere nearby."

Snow's eyes widened. "Fang, that's a great idea. We could go for the weekend."

"I know." Fang patted his shoulder. "By the way, make sure they put a lot of candles in the bedroom so you can have the most romantic atmosphere possible."

He coughed, shaking his head. "Fang, Serah and I are waiting. We'll have separate beds."

"Of course, you're waiting." Fang smirked. "But I'd get one bed just in case. You never know what Serah might want to do, and you're getting married anyways, right?"

"R-Right." Snow flushed faintly. "One bed."

Xxx

Vanille crept down the stairs a while later, her ears straining as she listened to Snow and Serah talking in the kitchen as Serah finished cooking dinner. She snuck past the kitchen with minimal difficulty and plopped down on the couch.

"Hi, Hope," Vanille whispered excitedly. "Sorry I didn't come downstairs to say hi before. I didn't know you were here yet."

Hope jumped, looking startled. "Vanille, you're really quiet. Why are you whispering?"

"I'm hiding from Serah. Is dinner almost ready?"

"I think so."

"Where's Fang?"

"She went outside a while ago," Hope replied as he turned back to his game. "She didn't say where she was going."

Vanille pouted, wondering why Fang would leave without telling her, and stood up to look out the window. Before she even reached it, the doorbell rang, causing her to jump and gasp in surprise.

"Are we expecting someone?" Snow asked as he poked his head out of the kitchen.

Vanille shook her head. "I don't think so."

Serah walked out of the kitchen. "Vanille, there you are! Are you feeling better now?"

"Uh…" Vanille bit her lip. "Oh, yeah, I feel better, thanks."

The bride-to-be stared at her expectantly.

"We can look at the dresses after dinner if you want," Vanille sighed.

"That would be so great! Thank you." Serah smiled warmly. "I have to go back to work after next week, so I really want to get as much planned as possible before then. I have a good feeling about finding a dress now that I talked to Snow. I just have to widen my search. Did you know there are other towns outside of Korrin? Troth is only one of them!"

Vanille's shoulders fell. "You probably want me to drive to the other towns with you for more shopping this week, right?"

"That would be amazing!" Serah ran across the room and hugged Vanille. "Thank you so much."

The doorbell rang again.

"Oops. I forgot." Snow laughed as he walked across the room and pulled the door open. His eyes widened with surprise. "Sazh? Dajh? What are you doing here?"

Sazh smiled weakly. "How are you, Snow?"

"I'm all right. Come on in." Snow held the door open.

Sazh walked inside, leading his son in with one hand and dragging a large suitcase with the other.

Hope stood up with a smile. "Dajh, this is perfect timing! The other team is killing me."

Dajh raced excitedly across the room and plopped down in front of the game console. "Add me to your team! We'll kick their butts."

Sazh placed his hand on the back of his head, smiling awkwardly. "Hi, Snow, Serah. Sorry to barge in like this. I lost my job two weeks ago, and I've been trying to find one since with no luck. The landlord kicked us out."

"What?" Serah gasped, her eyes widening. "How could he just kick you out?"

"I didn't have enough money to pay rent." Sazh frowned sheepishly. "I made some bad investments. Do you think we could stay here for a week or two? I was thinking of moving to Troth and looking for a job here."

"You can work for NORA if you want," Snow suggested generously.

"And you can stay for as long as you need," Serah insisted gently, taking his suitcase and wheeling it farther into the living room. "Hope is staying in the basement for the weekend, but you and Dajh could join him. There are two beds down there still."

"That's great. I really appreciate this." Sazh smiled warmly.

"You're like family, Sazh. We would never turn you away," Serah insisted happily. "And you're just in time for dinner."

Hope glanced over his shoulder and frowned. "You guys are moving in here now? I'm going to be the only one who lives far away."

"Don't worry, Hope. You can live with us during the summer," Vanille assured him.

Serah bit her lip. "Vanille, I don't know if Lightning will be okay with that."

"Oh, right." Vanille laughed lightly. "I bet she won't mind if he asks really nicely. Besides, Fang and I might have our own place by then. She's been saving up money and I'm gonna get a job soon."

"What?" Serah's eyes widened. "Who will help me plan the wedding?!"

Vanille took a step backwards. "I-I'll wait until we're sure everything's planned.

Serah sighed with relief, her smile returning. "Thank you for all your help, Vanille. Dinner's ready, so let's all go to the kitchen."

"Dinner's ready?" Fang asked as she suddenly came in the door behind Sazh.

Kiwi and Ripper, the two wolfdog pups that had been living in the house since Christmas, burst through the door in front of Fang and began chasing each other around the room before they ran to Hope and Dajh and tried to distract them from the game.

Serah frowned thoughtfully at the dogs. "Fang, how big will those dogs get?"

"Pretty big once they're grown," Fang replied with a shrug. "Maybe up to your mid-thighs or a little taller and about the same length. It'll take them about two thirds of a year to get that big."

"They have so much energy," she commented nervously.

"Don't worry. These ones're well-behaved," Fang assured her gently as she shut the door behind her and crossed the room to wrap her arm around Vanille's waist and kiss her cheek. "I wish I'd known you were _feeling better_. You could've come for a walk with us."

"We could go for another walk later," Vanille suggested with a smile as she hugged Fang around the waist.

"Sounds good to me." Fang grinned as she tugged Vanille toward the kitchen. "Come on. I hear dinner's ready."

Xxx

Fang awoke to a tickling feeling in her throat that made her want to gag. With a sleepy yawn, she pulled away from Vanille and slipped out of bed. A faint grin covered her face as the younger woman turned over in her sleep and reached for her.

"I'll be right back, I promise," Fang whispered to her sleeping love as she leaned down to kiss her temple.

Another yawn escaped Fang's lips as she walked across the cold floor into the bathroom. She did not bother turning on the light, because she could see well enough in the moonlight coming in from the open blinds in the bedroom. She reached for the cup that she generally kept next to the sink so she could get a drink of water without walking all the way downstairs, but her fingers found nothing but empty space. With a frown, Fang recalled that she had brought the cup downstairs earlier that evening to clean it had had forgotten to get another one.

Though she could have just drank from the sink, Fang was tired and did not want to risk spilling all over herself, so she crept quickly out of the room, hoping that Vanille would not wake up alone.

Fang hurried down the stairs, smiling as she noticed that Hope had left a game console on the floor and hoping that Lightning would not be too angry with him in the morning. The ex-soldier had been growing steadily softer over the last few months, but there were still some things that made her angry, especially when she had so many houseguests on such a frequent basis.

After walking into the kitchen to get a quick drink, Fang walked back into the living room. She was about to walk up the stairs when a strange feeling grew in the pit of her stomach. Something was wrong, but she did not know what it was. There was no one else in the room with her, but she still could not shake the feeling that she was being watched. Nothing happened for several seconds, so Fang decided that it was her imagination and turned to walk up the stairs.

There was a faint noise, like a rustling near the window.

Fang spun around. The noise had already stopped, but she was quick enough to catch a shadow moving across the window pane.

The Gran Pulsian woman burst into action, racing to the window to see whoever had been peeking through the glass before they could escape. She barely had time to turn away as the window shattered, shards of glace flying everywhere, lodging themselves in the furniture. Instinct overtook her immediately, causing Fang to duck and cover her face, and by the time that she opened her eyes, there was nothing outside but a trail of footprints and the quiet winter night.

From the bedrooms upstairs, both of the dogs began to bark.

As Fang caught her breath, she glanced around the room, assessing the situation. There was glass everywhere, and her feet were bare. She did not have much experience with glass, but she knew that she knew that it would hurt her if she stepped on it. She was not far from the door, so the Gran Pulsian hunter immediately jumped across the floor, hoping that she would not miss her mark and regret it.

Fang could hear people moving around in the house as she landed safely on the mat by the door, far enough from the glass not to hurt herself. She slipped on her boots and walked back across the room. Each footstep brought another crunch of broken glass, but she ignored the sound as she crouched down in front of the object that had destroyed the window. It was a red brick with a note secured to it by a single string tied in a neat bow.

The Gran Pulsian woman untied the note carefully and read it, her eyes narrowing.

'_3 NORA agents living under one roof. You're making my job too easy._'


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

AN: Here is the second installment of Crimes of Passion. I hope you like it! :)

Disclaimer: FFXIII plot and characters belong to Square Enix. OCs and everything else belongs to me.

"What's going on?" Lightning shouted as she raced out of her bedroom into the hallway. She whirled around the corner, beginning to climb down the stairs, and paused, her eyes widening in surprise as she saw the state of her living room.

Vanille suddenly came running down the attic stairs with Kiwi and Ripper at her heels as she cried, "What happened? Fang, are you okay?!"

"Wait!" Fang shouted at the sound of Vanille's voice as she turned to face the stairs. "Don't come down here if you're not wearing shoes. There's glass everywhere."

Vanille appeared behind Lightning on the stairs and gasped in horror as she realized that the window must have broken. She had no idea what had happened and she was worried about Fang, but she did not want the puppies to cut themselves on the glass. She immediately crouched down, scooping the small struggling dogs into her arms, and carried them back up the second floor. While it might have been better to take the dogs back up the attic, Vanille wanted to know what was going on as soon as possible, so she pushed them gently into Lightning's open room before shutting the door and returning to the stairs.

Lightning surveyed the disheveled room, her eyes drifting from the window to Fang, and muttered, "You're bleeding."

"I'm aware of that, thanks," Fang replied with a sigh, walking back towards the front closet. She pulled out one pair of boots for Lightning and a pair for Vanille and then crunched through the glass to hand them to each woman. "Put these on before you come in here. It's dangerous with all the glass."

Serah suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs, a blanket wrapped around herself because it was a cold night. "What happened? Snow is on his way down here."

"Someone threw a brick through the window," Fang replied hastily, glancing cautiously at Lightning and holding out the note that had been attached to the offending object. "Here. Read this."

The ex-soldier studied the message with furrowed brows. "Do you have your PMC?"

Fang shook her head. "I just came down here looking for a drink of water."

Lightning nodded and turned to walk into the kitchen. She picked up the house phone and quickly dialed the number for the local NORA Headquarters. When the dispatcher answered the call, she reported the crime and was assured that a unit was on the way. By the time that Lightning returned to the living room, Snow and Sazh were examining the broken window while Fang studied the footprints on the porch from the front door.

"What do you see?" Snow asked Fang curiously.

"Whoever it was came from around the side of the house like they started out woods," Fang replied with a frown. "That's how they left, too. There's only one set of footprints. One culprit."

"Did you see the note?" Lighting interrupted to ask Snow.

"We all saw it," Hope mumbled from where he stood in front of the basement door with his hand on Dajh's shoulder to keep the younger boy from walking on the broken glass.

"I should get a broom," Serah exclaimed suddenly.

"No. Leave everything alone until NORA gets here," Lightning commanded as she crossed the room to join the others in studying the window. "I want a thorough investigation. Whoever did this is going to pay for my window."

"It's a good thing I was down here when it happened," Fang commented, noticing that snowflakes were beginning to fall from the sky. "The prints might be gone by the time the other agents get here."

"Do you think this was supposed to be a robbery?" Snow asked with a frown. "Maybe they saw Fang and freaked out."

"They had to know I was here. I walked right by." Fang shook her head. "It'd be pretty stupid breaking the window if they were planning on coming back some other night. I didn't even know for sure anyone was there until they threw the brick. Besides, who'd rob a house in the middle of the night when everyone was home? There're at least four air cars in the driveway."

"I guess you're right." Snow noticed that Serah looked nervous and crossed the room to wrap his arms around her. "Don't worry, Serah. We're going to figure out who did this and catch them."

"I know." Serah hugged him tightly and nuzzled against him. "You'll keep us safe."

Snow nodded firmly.

Vanille walked cautiously through the glass and reached out to Fang, pressing her fingers just beneath the cut on the taller woman's cheek. "Are you okay?"

Fang nodded, smiling faintly. "I'm all right. Just a few scratches here and there."

The younger woman peeked at Fang's arms, frowning at the small gashes.

"It's from protecting my face," Fang informed her gently. "There's probably some glass in my hair, too."

"Let me check," Vanille insisted suddenly, grabbing Fang by the shoulders and pushing her down so that she could reach the top of her head.

"Careful, Vanille. It's glass," Fang warned, hunching uncomfortably because she could not lean against the nearby table, which was also covered in dangerous shards.

"I'm being careful," Vanille assured her as she picked a few shards carefully from her dark locks and dropped them onto the floor. "I think that's all of them. There weren't many."

Fang stood up properly and smiled before nudging Vanille backwards. Once they were no longer standing atop the shattered glass, Fang wrapped her arms around Vanille and pulled her close. "Thanks."

Vanille hugged her tightly around the waist, still feeling very worried about her. "You can never come downstairs for a glass of water ever again."

Laughing lightly, Fang kissed the top of her head. "I'm fine, Vanille. I'm just glad it was me down here and not you."

The younger woman huffed, snuggling against her.

There was a knock on the door and everyone froze, but Lightning could see the NORA patrol car in the driveway from the window. She immediately walked across the room and pulled the front door open, revealing two NORA agents standing on the porch. There were two more agents taking pictures of the quickly disappearing footprints and the shattered window.

"Hello, Agent Farron." The tall, redheaded agent exclaimed.

Lightning recognized the officer but could not place his name. "Hi."

The redhead smiled faintly before turning to the others. "Hi, Captain Villiers, Agent Yun, everyone else… I'm Agent Hash Young for those of you who don't know me. I know it's been a traumatic evening, but we would like to interview all of you and get as much information as possible so we can catch this guy."

"You should send some agents into the woods then," Fang suggested. "That's where he went."

Agent Young nodded. "I sent some agents to follow the trail of footprints when we arrived."

"You all squeezed into one car?" Fang asked with a raised brow.

"There's another car parked on the road. Who in this room actually witnessed the attack?"

"I'm the only one," Fang replied. She released Vanille, giving her a reassuring smile, and stepped forwards.

"I'll interview you first then. I want to get as much information recorded before you forget what you saw. Can you start from what you were doing right before the attack?"

Fang nodded, glancing quickly at the others. "Will Agent Danow be taking care of the other interviews?"

Agent Young nodded. "I know you say you were the only witness, but we need to cover all the bases if we want to get a good idea of who might have done something like this. There are a few different possibilities. Someone could have been trying to rob the house and then panicked when they saw you, or it could have been someone who knows you and wanted to scare you."

"Someone definitely wanted to send us a message," Fang replied, motioning to the brick on the floor and the note that had been left on the table. "It says '_3 NORA agents living under one roof? You're making my job too easy._'"

Agent Young frowned. "Then this was obviously premeditated. I'll make sure someone is stationed on the street for a few days in case the perp decides to come back."

"Thanks." Fang sighed. "So, I guess you wanna hear what happened."

He nodded.

Fang retold everything from the moment that she had reached the bottom of the stairs until the moment she had read the note. She also offered advice on where she thought the perpetrator would have gone once he ran into the woods, since she frequently took walks in the forest behind Lightning's house and knew the area well. Agent Young took avid notes while Fang was speaking, asking important questions where he felt it was necessary. When he was finished, he joined the other agents to hear what evidence they had found.

It did not take long for the NORA agents to collect the minimal evidence, test the living room and the porch for prints, and interview everyone in the house. Once the other agents returned from an unsuccessful hunt in the woods, they bid everyone goodnight and left. Agent Young remained for a short while to suggest a few different companies that he though could fix windows on short notice before he also left.

"We've gotta cover up the window and clean up this mess," Fang commented, sighing.

"I'll get a few brooms." Serah placed her hand on Fang's shoulder, smiling sympathetically. "You've been through enough tonight, Fang. Why don't you just go back to bed?"

"Yeah, we can take care of this," Snow assured Fang before turning to Hope and Dajh. "You boys go ahead and go back to sleep, too. We can handle this."

Sazh nodded toward his son. "Go back downstairs. I don't want you getting cut."

"Okay, daddy." Dajh looked upset that he had to leave, but he complied, and Hope followed him down the stairs.

"You sure?" Fang asked the others. When the nodded, she wrapped her arm around Vanille's shoulders and began to tug her up the stairs. "Come on. Let's go back to sleep."

Vanille pouted, touching the bandages that the paramedic had used to cover the scrapes on Fang's arms. "Are you gonna be okay, Fang?"

"I'll be fine. I promise." Fang smiled and gave her a gentle squeeze. "Let's just put this behind us until morning. NORA'll take care of it, and since so many of us work with the agents on the case, we'll be updated as soon as they find anything."

"I just hope they catch them quickly," Vanille pointed out, frowning. "I don't want you to get hurt again."

When they reached the second floor, Vanille quickly opened Lightning's door to let Kiwi follow them up to the attic. Once their bedroom door was open, Kiwi ran to his large doggy bed, made himself comfortable, and snuggled drowsily into the cushions.

Fang laughed lightly. "I wish Kiwi was older already. I could've sent him after whoever did this. Right now he's just a little puppy, too small to really help. He doesn't look like he cares much about what happened either."

Vanille giggled lightly. "I'm sure he cares, Fang. He doesn't want you to get hurt."

The older woman grinned. "Still, at times like this, I can't wait until they're grown."

"Don't listen to Fang, Kiwi," Vanille told the dog as she tugged away from Fang to crouch down in front of him. "You should stay a puppy forever. You're so cute this way. You're my favorite little doggy in the whole wide world!"

"You like him more than Ripper?" Fang asked curiously as she slipped into bed.

"I like them equally. They're both my favorites," Vanille replied as she kissed the top of Kiwi's head and stood to climb into the other side of the bed. She immediately snuggled close to Fang, rubbing her fingers gently across her cheek. "I wish you didn't get hurt."

"It's just some scratches," Fang replied gently, turning her head to press her lips to Vanille's hand. "I've gotten deeper cuts trimming roses."

Vanille smiled faintly and pressed her face into Fang's shoulder. "I still get worried about you, Fang. If anything ever happened to you, I don't think I could live without you."

"Nothing's gonna happen to me," Fang assured her, kissing her temple. "We're meant to be together, Vanille, so nothing's gonna split us up. I promise."

"Good." Vanille kissed her cheek. "Goodnight, Fang."

"Goodnight."

They were silent for a long time, but both women remained awake.

After a while, Fang ran her fingers through Vanille's hair, murmuring gently, "Can you promise me something, Vanille?"

The younger woman raised her head seriously. "What?"

"I don't want you here alone until we sort this out," Fang exclaimed with a worried frown. "I know you're stronger than you look and I shouldn't underestimate you, but it's the same for me, Vanille. If something ever happened to you, I couldn't go on."

"Nothing's gonna happen to me either, Fang, but I promise I'll make sure I'm not here alone." Vanille snuggled closer, hugging her tightly. "If everyone else has to leave the house, I'll come to NORA Headquarters. I'll bring the dogs, too."

Fang laughed lightly. "Good. We can keep them in Snow's office if anyone complains."

Xxx

When Fang walked into the Troth NORA Headquarters the next morning, she was surprised to find many of the agents crowded together over a plate of toast and fruit. Everyone was eating and chatting, though the grave looks on their faces made it apparent that they were discussing cases.

"Hey, Agent Yun! I know you're a newbie here, but do you want to join us?" Agent Karolyn Sovina shouted, smiling pleasantly.

Fang shrugged and joined the group with her usual roguish grin. "Sure. Thanks for the invite."

"I figured it was time for you to get to know everyone," Agent Sovina exclaimed before everyone began to introduce themselves. When Agent Sovina noticed the tribal tattoo on Fang's arm, she raised her brows in appreciation. "Wow. That's nice. Where did you get it done? Probably somewhere on the old world, right?"

Fang opened her mouth to respond but stopped. It occurred to her that no one really knew that she was from Gran Pulse and they might treat her differently if they found out the truth. She considered lying or giving an ambiguous response, but then she realized that she was not willing to hide herself.

"No. I didn't come from the old world," Fang explained quickly. "I'm Gran Pulsian. I got these tattoos when my tribe made me a hunter."

Agent Sovina's eyes widened and then she began laughing. "So, you're saying you're from Pulse? Good one."

"I think she's serious," Agent Kent argued gently, elbowing Agent Sovina gently.

"No way. She can't be serious." Agent Sovina studied Fang carefully. "You're really from Pulse?"

Fang nodded, unsure whether or not she should smile.

"Where did you grow up?" Agent Sovina asked, clearly interested.

"In a village called Oerba. It's a bit south of here, not that there's anything left," Fang replied with a shrug, altering her story slightly. "I met Captain Villiers while he was on Gran Pulse. When I moved here, he gave me a job."

"I guess that explains the accent. I was wondering where you were from." Agent Sovina smiled. "Well, I know there has been tension between Pulse and Cocoon forever, but I think it's really cool that you're from here. If you know the forest really well, maybe you could start a new branch of NORA and teach some of the agents about the creatures here. I've heard some really frightening stories."

"Now there's an idea," Fang replied, smiling as she considered it.

"We don't need any help from a Pulsian," Agent Morriz grunted in his usual crabby tone. "I can't believe you're even allowed to work here. You people are responsible for us being down here in the first place. Look what you did to Cocoon."

"Don't listen to him," Agent Sovina intervened, rolling her eyes. Lowering her voice, she exclaimed, "I bet he's the only one that feels that way. It's not so bad living here."

Fang smiled vaguely. "Well, thanks for inviting me over for breakfast, but I should probably get back to work. It was nice to meet everyone."

The agents waved as she turned away, and she could tell that some were sincerely glad to have met her and others were not. She did not blame them for the remaining hard feelings between the people of Cocoon and Gran Pulse, but she hoped that in the end they could smooth out their differences.

When Fang returned to her desk, she noticed Lightning hunched over paperwork and frowned. "How much of that stuff do you have? I wouldn't have pegged you as someone who let it all go until the last minute."

"I do a lot of patrolling. It's more important," Lightning replied with a shrug.

Fang took a bite of the apple she had snagged from the breakfast table and mumbled, "You didn't want to eat with the others?"

"No. I have too much to do," Lightning grumbled.

"Well, you're cheerful this morning." Fang sighed and sat back in her seat. "How come you didn't get your paperwork done when you made yourself all fancy to come back to work?"

Lightning narrowed her eyes. "I got some of my work done then, but I still have more."

Fang leaned forwards against her desk, giving Lightning a knowing look. "I dunno why you won't just tell me where you really went. I know you didn't come here."

"Leave me alone. I'm working."

"Fine." Fang chuckled as she stood up and turned away. "I'm gonna go check with Snow and see if they found out who was at our house last night."

Lightning glared. "Fang, it's _my_ house."

"That's what I said," Fang replied with an amused look. "I'll be right back."

By the time that Fang returned, Lightning had finished her paperwork and was waiting impatiently for her. "What took you so long? We have to go."

"Snow told me. There's another disturbance." Fang grabbed her jacket. "Tell me it's at the same house."

Lightning shook her head. "It's another abandoned house."

Fang frowned thoughtfully. "D'you think we'll find someone else holed up there?"

The ex-soldier shrugged. "What did Snow say about my house?"

"They don't have any leads yet. There wasn't much evidence to go on."

Lightning pursed her lips but did not respond.

The two agents walked to the air car quickly, and they were silent for the entire trip other than Fang murmuring directions. Lightning told her several times that she knew where they were going, but Fang did not seem to be listening. They reached the second abandoned house in record time, and Lightning parked the air car around the corner.

"Are you ready?" Lightning asked.

Fang nodded firmly, opening her door and creeping out of the air car. As she edged slowly toward the driveway, which was surrounded on either side by a row of tall trees, she kept on her handgun at her waist. "Keep your eyes open. I'm not good with this thing."

Lightning snorted in agreement.

Fang peeked around the trees, looking up the driveway and studying the area surrounding the house. "I don't see anyone around, but I've got an idea. Stay here. You'll know when you need to come out."

There was no time to protest as Fang lifted her gun with two hands and pointed it in front of her. She crouched slightly as though she were trying to hide and immediately moved around the corner, walking up the driveway. As she continued moving, Fang made a show of peering around the yard and trying to look in the windows.

"Are you looking for something, agent?"

Fang smirked faintly, turning to face the same man who had pulled a gun on them the last time. "Fancy seeing you here at the scene of another disturbance call. What exactly are you doing in these houses?"

"I'm not doing anything." He narrowed his eyes. "You chased me out of the other house, so here I am."

"I think I'll take a look inside." Fang narrowed her eyes. "Turn around and put your hands behind your back. You're under arrest for trespassing, among other things."

"I don't think so," he informed her coldly as he turned around to run. With a gasp, he jumped in surprise.

Lightning was standing right behind him, her weapon aimed at his chest. Her voice was powerful as she commanded, "Put your hands behind your back."

He complied, frowning. "I've got that gun permit. It's right in my pocket this time."

With a roll of her eyes, Lightning grumbled, "You're still trespassing and you resisted arrest."

Fang pulled the man's hands together before cuffing him. "I'm going in that house."

"Me, too. He can come with us," Lightning replied as she took one of the man's arms and forced him to walk in front of her.

"Wow. You're a strong one," the man grumbled, eying Lightning with a frown.

Lightning ignored him as she forced him up the path to the house. The doorknob turned without protest, so she pushed the door open with her fist and shoved the suspect inside. Fang remained behind her, keeping her eyes open for anyone else who might be working with the trespasser. Together the two of them searched the house, clearing each room. Ultimately, the entire place was empty.

"You had every right to search this house, since it's town property, but I told you I wasn't doing anything in here." The trespasser laughed.

"You're coming to the NORA Headquarters with us. I'm not convinced that you weren't doing anything here," Lightning told him firmly.

He shrugged indifferently. "I didn't do anything, but I can't stop you from wasting your time."

"What's your name?" Fang asked the prisoner.

"Pilot Jackson, but people call me P.J." The burly man tilted his head, sneering. "Have you heard of me?"

"Nope."

"Well, you'll know my name pretty well soon enough." P.J. smirked coldly. "That's a promise."

"Read him his rights, Fang," Lightning interrupted.

"I was hoping you'd forget all about that." P.J. laughed. "Then I could've walked right out the door."

Xxx

The Troth Main Strip was located directly in the center of the Town of Troth, and it encompassed the largest street in the town. The area was heavily populated with stores and restaurants year round and also hosted many venders with market stands during the warmer months. Although Troth was a small town, almost everything the residents could possible need could be found on the Main Strip. However, two particular residents had traveled down the entire strip that freezing morning without any success.

"I guess we should find somewhere to get lunch," Serah mumbled, defeated.

"Don't give up, Serah. We're gonna find the perfect dress. I'm sure of it," Vanille told her friend gently, placing her hand on her shoulder. "We'll find it right after lunch. I can feel it."

Serah smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Vanille. Thank you so much for everything you've done to help me and for putting up with how upset I've been."

"It's no problem. I completely understand." The Gran Pulsian woman smiled faintly. "I know you want the most perfect wedding day in the world, Serah, but it's gonna be amazing even if you end up marrying Snow in a paper bag, 'cause at the end of the day you get to go home knowing you two are gonna be together forever."

"I guess you're right." Serah laughed lightly. "Maybe I should just buy the next dress that fits me?"

"Only if you love it," Vanille replied with a grin. "But you've gotta stop looking for the perfect dress. Find a few that you like and ask the owners if they'll hold them for you so at the end of the day you can choose which one you really want, okay? If you see another dress you like better later, you can always buy that one and return the others if there's time."

"You're right." Serah gave a hopeful look. "I love shopping with you. You have such a positive attitude."

"I always try to stay positive," Vanille replied with a grin, looping her arm through Serah's and tugging her around the corner. "Come on. There's gotta be a good restaurant close by."

Serah nodded, glancing over her shoulder and searching for somewhere that she wanted to eat. "Do you like seafood?"

Vanille tilted her head curiously. "You mean like fish?"

"Exactly." Serah nodded.

"I liked the fish they caught in the streams near our village." Vanille shrugged. "Where do you think they got the fish for this restaurant? There aren't any big rivers or lakes nearby."

"There must be one somewhere," Serah murmured distractedly as she scanned the street. She suddenly flinched.

"What's wrong?" Vanille tried to follow her gaze.

Serah took her friend's arm, whispering quietly, "Look at that man over there."

Vanille looked and a nervous frown covered her face. Half a block down the street stood a man wearing loose jeans and a black hoodie with the hood pulled over his face. His hands were in his pockets, but it was clear from his posture and the wrinkles in his shirt that he was very muscular and imposing. He was looking in their direction and he moved suspiciously as though he were trying to remain out of sight.

"We shouldn't stare at him," Serah whispered, tugging on Vanille's arm. "Sorry. He just startled me a little."

"Who'd be dressed like that during the day? It's not even snowing," Vanille murmured, frowning. "I'm so used to going places with Fang that nothing usually scares me. It's a lot harder now that she's working and I have to be on my own sometimes."

"Weren't you ever on your own in Oerba?"

"I was always on my own during the day, but that was different." Vanille smiled nostalgically. "Oerba was my home. I lived there my whole life. It was really small, too. All the villages around us knew we were a hunting village, 'cause sometimes they had to trade with us for food when there were shortages, so no one ever wanted to attack us. Fang always said I'd be really safe as long as I never went in the forest, but I never felt afraid going out to pick flowers on my own."

"It's nice that you could feel so safe. I always felt that way when Claire was with me. She was my big sister and she was always really strong. I knew she would never let anyone hurt me."

"And now you've got Snow to protect you, too," Vanille pointed out, grinning.

Serah nodded, laughing lightly. "It's really nice to have people to protect you, but I want to be able to protect myself, too. I've been taking self-defense classes with some of my co-workers. Do you want to come sometime when I go back? The classes are really useful. We just learned how to throw someone off if they're pinning you down."

"Maybe." Vanille shrugged, giggling. "It might be fun to surprise Fang next time she gets on top of me."

Serah flushed faintly. "R-Right. Ooh, do you want to go to that restaurant over there? It looks really nice."

Vanille nodded. "Sure. That looks okay."

As Serah was turning, she happened to glance over her shoulder and gasped in surprise. She immediately grabbed Vanille's arm and ducked into the building, pulling the other woman with her. Once they were out of sight, she pointed out the window.

"Look, Vanille! It's the same guy standing across the street. Do you think he's following us?"

Vanille followed her gaze and frowned. "I dunno. He's not looking over here."

Serah bit her lip nervously. "Let's just stay inside for a while. If he doesn't know we're here and he _is_ following us, he'll just go away."

"If he saw us come in here, he'll probably just way. Then we'll _know_ he's following," Vanille commented.

"Vanille, don't say that." Serah hugged herself. "Aren't you scared?"

Shaking her head, the Gran Pulsian woman smiled reassuringly. "We don't know he's following us. Let's just get something to eat. He can't hurt us in here."

"Right." Serah bit her lip and nodded. "I bet it's a coincidence anyway. Why would someone be following us?"

"Exactly." Vanille nodded encouragingly before turning to the hostess. "We'd like a table for two, please."

"Of course. Right this way."

Xxx

"That was a really good lunch," Vanille exclaimed cheerfully as she walked out of the restaurant. "I never had that kind of soup before. It was really delicious."

"I'm glad you liked it," Serah replied with a cheerful smile.

"So, what store do you wanna go to now?" Vanille asked as she took out a map of all the bridal boutiques and dress shops and instantly eliminated all the stores to which they had already gone.

"I don't know." Serah sighed in exhausted. "I think I really will just buy the next dress that fits me. I'm getting really tired of all this shopping, and I have so much else to do. As soon as people start responding to the RSVPs I need to give the reception hall a final number of guests. Do you think Hope will need a plus one?"

"I dunno. Does he have a girlfriend?" Vanille asked curiously.

"Snow said he was asking him for advice on how to impress a girl he's taking to a dance," Serah replied with a smile.

"He should ask Fang," Vanille replied with a warm smile. "She always did the most romantic things for me."

"Really?" Serah asked skeptically. "She told Hope that if he was choosing between a romantic dinner and a movie, he should choose a movie because it means more making out."

Vanille giggled. "Fang always talks like that, but she really is romantic."

"Snow is, too." Serah sighed happily as they turned a corner. Lowering her voice, she asked "Do you think that guy is still behind us?"

"I dunno," Vanille replied with a shrug.

Serah risked a look and her eyes widened with horror. "He's following us, Vanille. He's only a block behind us."

Vanille bit her lip nervously. "Are you sure it's the same guy?"

"Yes, I'm sure. What if it's the person who broke our window?" Serah cried nervously.

"Maybe they don't wanna hurt us," Vanille told Serah with a frown. "Maybe they're just trying to scare us, so we just have to keep walking until we find another store and go inside quickly."

"Where are we?" Serah asked as she peeked at Vanille's map.

"I'm not really sure, but I think we're far away from the air car," Vanille replied with a frown, glancing over her shoulder. "He's walking even faster."

"What?" Serah gasped, beginning to panic. "This can't be happening, Vanille. I can't die right before my wedding."

"You're not gonna die," Vanille told her gently. "We're gonna get to a store and I'm gonna call Fang. She'll come get us."

"What if he follows us into the store?"

"He can't hurt us in front of a lot of people," Vanille replied firmly.

"What if he does?" Serah protested. "He's got his face covered. He would walk right in and shoot us and then run out."

Vanille's brows knit with worry. "Maybe you're right. What should we do?"

"Hey!"

Both girls jumped and looked over their shoulder. The man was closer now, and he was waving his arms wildly.

"Hey!"

"What is he doing?" Serah gasped. "Vanille, we have to get out of here."

"How fast can you run?" Vanille cried quietly.

"Hey! Stop!"

"I don't know, but we're about to find out. Why did I wear heels?" Serah gasped.

"Hey!"

Vanille glanced over her shoulder in time to see the man in the black hoodie sprinting toward them. With a shriek of surprise, she grabbed Serah's arm and shoved her forwards. "Run, Serah! If we make it to the end of the street and go around that corner, we should get away."

"O-Okay," Serah replied as she broke into a run.

The two girls tore around the corner as quickly as they could, aware that the man was not only following them but shouting at them.

Serah looked over her shoulder and cried in fear. "Vanille, he's faster than us."

"Just keep running!"

"But he's catching up!"

"Stop looking at him! It'll slow you down," Vanille cried.

Serah squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and then resolved that she would not look back again. As she focused forwards, she noticed that there was another woman in front of the two of them. She was running even faster than both of them, her long strides carrying her around the corner so fast that Serah only noticed that she had long blonde hair and a slim physique.

"Ah!" Vanille suddenly shrieked.

Serah glanced over her shoulder and stopped running with a gasp. "Vanille, are you okay?"

The Gran Pulsian woman was on the ground clutching at her ankle. "I'm okay, Serah. Keep running. You have to get away."

"No, I'm not leaving you here," Serah replied, biting her lip nervously as she watched the black-clad man whirl around the corner. "We're just gonna have to fight him."

Vanille nodded gravely, ignoring the pain in her ankle as she sat up.

They watched the approaching man with narrowed eyes so that he would know that he could not harm them, and Serah stood up to show him that she would defend her friend if necessary. However, he ran right past her and raced around the corner without a word.

"W-What just happened?" Serah asked, looking at Vanille with wide eyes.

"I dunno," Vanille whispered nervously.

The man suddenly came back around the corner, startling both women.

"Are you all right?" He asked as he pulled down his hood, revealing a handsome young face with black skin and honey-colored eyes. "I'm sorry I scared you so badly. You just happened to be everywhere I was tracking her all day."

Vanille shifted uncomfortably. "Who?"

"The woman in front of you. You didn't see her?" He shook his head, sighing. "I'm a bounty hunter. I can't tell you anything about her if you're not involved, because it's better that you don't know, but she missed her court dates and I had to get her back there."

"But you lost her?" Serah asked suspiciously.

"Yeah. She's really fast." He frowned, taking a step closer to Vanille. "Are you all right? I can help you. My air car isn't far from here. I can take you wherever you need to go."

"I'm okay now," Vanille lied cheerfully. "We're gonna keep shopping for a while."

"Are you sure? I could take a look at your ankle. It looks swollen."

"I just twisted it. It doesn't even hurt anymore," Vanille replied with a pleasant smile.

"All right." He gave her a curious look. "Sorry again for scaring you two."

"It's okay," Vanille chirped. "Good luck finding that woman."

"Thanks. Have a good day."

When the bounty hunter disappeared around the corner, Serah and Vanille waited silently for quite a long time before Serah asked quietly, "Do you really feel okay, Vanille?"

"I don't know if I can walk," Vanille admitted quietly, "but I didn't trust him."

"Me either," Serah replied with a frown as she stood up and reached down to help Vanille. "Come on. We should be able to make it to a store. Then I'll call Sazh to come pick us up. He can drive us to our car and I'll drive it back."

"That's a good idea," Vanille replied with a grateful smile as she wrapped her arm around Serah's shoulders and allowed the younger woman to help her limp away.

Xxx

Fang pulled into Lightning's driveway and parked the air car. As she glanced out the windows and the rear-view mirror to make sure that she had left enough room for everyone else, she thought about how difficult it would be for everyone to get out of the driveway in the morning when both Vanille and Sazh had jobs. It seemed likely that in the future she, Lighting, and Snow might have to begin to carpool with each other to avoid moving so many cars each morning.

Fang pushed the door open and climbed out, locking her car before she turned toward the house. There was still no glass in the window, but they have covered the hole with brown paper and cardboard while they waited for the repair company to send someone to fix the damage.

"What could someone have against all of us?" Fang mused with a sigh.

As NORA agents, it was easy to make enemies. While Snow had been an agent for the longest and Lightning had a list of enemies that most likely spanned farther back than Cocoon's fall, Fang could not think of anyone living in the small town of Troth who could have a problem with all three of them. Up until recently, there had not even been many arrests in the mostly quiet town. The only person that she could think of who might have something against at least two of them was the man who called himself P.J., but he was still in custody. If he was responsible, they would find out soon enough.

The front door suddenly opened and Serah poked her head out. "Oh, Fang, it's you. I heard an air car in the driveway and thought it might be Snow."

"Is something wrong?" Fang asked with a frown.

"No, nothing's wrong." Serah shook her head firmly. "I was just going to ask him to get the mail for me."

"I can get it," Fang offered.

"No. I think you should come inside." The younger woman frowned. "Vanille fell and twisted her ankle today. She's okay, but I think she was waiting for you to come home."

Fang frowned, concerned, and walked briskly toward the door. "Is she upstairs?"

"She's here." Serah stepped out of the way.

As she quickly removed her coat and boots, Fang scanned the room and spotted Vanille lying on the couch with an icepack on top of her ankle. She was watching Hope and Dajh play video games on the television. Although she did not look uncomfortable or upset, Fang wanted to make sure that she was all right immediately, so she did not waste any time moving across the room.

"Vanille, what happened?" Fang asked worriedly as she appeared beside the couch.

The younger woman twisted to look at her and smiled gratefully. "Fang, I've been waiting for you to come home!"

"Are you okay?" Fang asked gently, crouching in front of her and studying her ankle. "It looks like this was a pretty nasty fall."

Vanille nodded, frowning nervously. "Serah and I thought someone was following us. We were really scared, so we started running. Then I fell down."

Fang's eyes widened. "Was someone really following you? Gimme a description and I'll go like for them right now."

"I dunno if he was or not." Vanille lowered her voice, not wanting Hope or Dajh to hear. "He ran right past us after I fell down, but then he came back to ask if I was okay. He said he was a bounty hunter and he was chasing some other woman who was running in front of us, but I dunno if he was telling the truth or not."

Fang ran her fingers through Vanille's hair. "He didn't try to hurt you, did he?"

"No. He offered to give us a ride in his air car, but I didn't wanna go with him because I didn't know whether or not I could trust him."

"Good." Fang leaned forwards and kissed her gently. "Is your ankle really swollen?"

Vanille nodded. "Serah gave me some medicine, but I can't really walk still."

"Maybe you should see a doctor," Fang suggested as she carefully lifted the ice pack to look at her injury.

"I'll go tomorrow if it doesn't get better overnight," Vanille promised.

"I'll take you," Fang offered. "I've got tomorrow off."

"Really?" Vanille asked excitedly. "I thought you'd only get weekends off after a while."

"I thought so too, but it turns out they can't make us work more than a certain amount of hours," Fang replied with a grin. "That means I can take every Sunday off or I can choose another day if I want."

"That's really exciting, Fang. We get to spend even more time together!"

Fang laughed lightly.

"Can we go upstairs for a while?" Vanille asked quietly. "I wanna lie on the bed."

"Sure we can." Fang picked up the icepack and handed it to her. "Hang onto this for a second."

Vanille gave a nod, looking confused.

Fang suddenly slid her arms underneath Vanille and lifted her slowly, holding her in her arms bridal style. "It's a good thing you're so light."

The younger woman giggled, wrapping her arms around Fang's neck. "I thought you said I was getting heavier."

"I was lying," Fang replied with a teasing grin.

"I knew it!" Vanille poked her in the shoulder. "That's mean, Fang."

Fang smirked playfully. "What do you expect? You don't let me play pranks anymore. I've gotta have fun somehow."

Vanille laughed and snuggled into her arms.

Fang carried Vanille up both sets of stairs and set her down carefully on the bed before she helped her put the icepack on her ankle. "Do you wanna watch some television? I know we don't have one, but I could go out and get one."

"We don't have a lot of money, Fang," Vanille protested with a smile. "Just come sit with me."

With a smile, Fang nodded and joined her girlfriend on the bed. She scooted closer, wrapping her arm around the younger woman's shoulders, and murmured, "So, it sounds like you had a pretty adventurous day. Did you find a dress?"

"No, but when we got back, Serah went on another dress website and found one she thinks is perfect." Vanille smiled, relieved. "She called the store and they're gonna hold one for her to try on. She's going Monday. I'll go with her if my foot's feeling better."

"I wish you were going tomorrow so I could go," Fang mumbled. "Between bounty hunters and squatters, there's a lot to worry about these days."

"What d'you mean?" Vanille pouted up at her.

"Remember how Light picked this town because she was done with society and wanted to live away from people?" Fang asked with an amused smile.

"Yep. She said we couldn't even come visit at first, but then Serah talked her out of that," Vanille replied with a grin.

"Well, it turns out the town's not so little anymore. People have been moving out of the city pretty steadily, pouring into the towns all around it," Fang explained. "The population of this town has actually doubled since Lightning first came here, and there're more people coming in every day. It seems like the more people there are, the more crime there is, too. Just today we had another two robberies, which Light's convinced were related to the first one we investigated."

Vanille frowned faintly. "What did they rob?"

"Stores. The robberies usually happen at night, but they're not reported until early in the morning. The perpetrators have been picking the locks so the alarms don't go off." Fang shook her head. "That's not the worst part though. There've been a few violent crimes, the kind of stuff that we never even had nightmares about in Oerba."

"Murders?" Vanille asked nervously.

"No, none yet, thankfully. Other stuff," Fang sighed, hugging her more tightly. "I'm not gonna go into detail, 'cause I don't want you to think about it."

"Okay." Vanille sighed and nuzzled against her.

Fang kissed her forehead. "I'm gonna change out of my work clothes, okay?"

Vanille nodded, pulling away from her. "Do you ever get assigned to the violent crimes? Did you put someone in jail? Maybe there was a case that you, Lightning and Snow were all involved in."

"That would make sense, but there are no cases all three of us have worked on." Fang stood and crossed the room, opening the armoire and changing into something more comfortable. Before she removed her pants, she pulled a knife out of her pocket and set it on the shorter dresser next to the armoire.

The younger woman shifted uncomfortably on the bed. "That's your hunting knife."

"I feel more comfortable with it than with a gun, not that it'd win against a gun unless I was really close," Fang explained.

"You're probably in a lot of danger at work," Vanille mumbled sadly. "Why couldn't you be something nice and safe like a jewelry maker?"

Fang laughed lightly as she closed the armoire and carried her knife to the bed, sticking it beneath her pillow. "Vanille, if I were a store owner, there's a chance I'd be getting robbed right now."

"But maybe no one would throw a brick through your window." Vanille crossed her arms. "I don't wanna be in danger. I want a nice, quiet life."

"A quiet life sounds boring," Fang replied with a grin as she pulled Vanille into her arms. "But I've been thinking about the future, and I do want a different life than this."

Vanille glanced up at her curiously. "What d'you mean, Fang?"

"I'm not sure I wanna stay a part of NORA in the long run," Fang explained quietly. "Don't tell Snow. I dunno exactly what I'm gonna do yet. I just know that I thought this would be a lot like being a hunter. Our main jobs in Oerba were getting food and protecting everyone. I thought this would be the same, but it's not. The danger of hunting was real, but it's different fighting animals, especially if you need to eat. I knew that everything I killed would provide food and make tools for our village. This is different. People are after each other and I'm after them. I don't like it as much as I thought I would."

With a frown, Vanille ran her fingers through Fang's wild hair. "Then what do you wanna do? You can't be a hunter, not by yourself."

"I know." Fang shrugged. "I dunno what I want to do. Maybe we could move out into the woods and grow our own food and I could just hunt for the two of us. We don't really need electricity. We could sustain ourselves fine."

"What about heat in the winter?" Vanille asked with a grin.

Fang shook her head. "I dunno. We could have a wood stove like in Oerba."

"I like our life here," Vanille murmured with a sigh. "Having power and heating and especially running water is really nice."

With a faint smile, Fang mused that she should probably stop chasing the dream of living in their village again. "All right. I'll find some other job I'm good at and we can stay here."

"Fang, I don't want you to be unhappy," Vanille insisted. "We'll compromise. We can build our own house and live close to the forest, but we can also be close enough to here that we can visit our friends whenever we want and I can open a jewelry store."

"That sounds good," Fang murmured, though in truth she really did miss village life. The rules had been so much clearer, and because of her position as a hunter, she and Vanille had everything that they needed.

"Good." Vanille leaned up to kiss her cheek. "If you want we could even travel a bit and see if there are any other Gran Pulsian tribes around. Somebody has to have survived, right?"

Fang brightened at that idea. "That would be really nice. I bet Serah would let us keep our stuff here if we went on a short journey."

"We can go after the wedding," Vanille promised, glad because she could see that Fang was sincerely pleased by the suggestion.

"It's a date." Fang grinned and leaned closer to Vanille, snuggling against her. "Now, let's just rest for a little while. Moments like this are still my favorite."

Vanille smiled nostalgically and hugged Fang close.

Xxx

In the middle of the night, Fang walked down the stairs for a drink of water and found Lightning sitting in front of the television. Her features were drawn and exhausted, but she was focused intently on the news.

"Did something happen?" Fang asked curiously.

Lightning shook her head, glancing over her shoulder with a frown. "I was thinking about the brick."

"What about it?" Fang asked as she took a seat on the couch.

"Either someone was trying to scare us or they wanted to distract us from something else," Lightning opined, narrowing her eyes. "If they're using this as a distraction, it must be something big."

"I'd say." Fang smiled wryly. "The whole house is riled."

The ex-soldier frowned thoughtfully. "I don't know anyone who would have something against all three of us."

"There was no forensic evidence, so unless they come back again, we'll never know who it was." Fang shrugged and stood up to walk into the kitchen, calling over her shoulder. "We can't live in fear, so it's better not to think about it."

"I'm not afraid," Lighting told her with conviction. "I'm just angry."

"I can relate," Fang replied as she returned with a glass of water and took her seat for the second time. "I dunno why he'd have anything against Snow, but you don't think P.J. was behind this, do you? We saw him for the first time that morning."

"It crossed my mind, but I don't see the connection," Lightning replied with a shrug.

"I don't yet, but I'll find one if it's there," Fang assured her as she took the last sip of her water. As she stood, she suggested, "Get some sleep, Light. The mystery'll still be there in the morning."

Lightning scoffed.

"Goodnight," Fang told her with a playful look.

"'Night."

As Fang was walking up the stairs, she was sure that she heard Lightning speaking to someone, and her brows furrowed suspiciously. However, when she snuck back down, she found Lightning sitting alone in the same spot.

The ex-soldier turned to look at her, her brow raised expectantly. "What?"

"Nothing." Fang's narrowed eyes scanned around the room for a moment before with a shrug she walked back up the stairs. "See you tomorrow."

The second that Fang's back was turned, she heard the murmurings again, but there was nowhere for anyone to hide. She was exhausted and it had been a long day, so she wrote it off as her imagination as she walked back up the stairs.

Xxx

A few minutes later, Fang shut the attic door gently behind her and slipped back into bed. When Vanille stirred, she smiled apologetically. "Sorry. I just went downstairs for a second."

"To get water?" Vanille gasped nervously. "Fang, that's how you got hurt last time."

Fang smiled faintly. "Don't worry, Vanille. I don't think someone would break the window again. They were sending us a message. If they wanted to get inside and try to hurt someone, they would've done it."

Vanille did not look comforted. "I know you don't want me to be here alone, Fang, but eventually I'll have to be. Sazh is gonna get a job, Hope's going back home at the end of the week, and Dajh will be in school."

"You and the dogs really can come stay at the office," Fang reminded her gently, brushing her hair out of her face.

"That'll be so boring," Vanille replied with a pout.

"No, it won't. You can sit at my desk and make jewelry all day," Fang assured her.

Vanille chuckled lightly before sobering. "Do you think I should get out my knife? I know it's in the closet somewhere. Serah and I were okay today, but what if there was real danger?"

Fang shook her head. "Do you think you could use the knife against another person? And are you 100% sure that they couldn't get the knife away from you?"

"I dunno," Vanille admitted with a sigh.

"Then you're better off without it." Fang wrapped her arms around Vanille and hugged her close. "You could try a frying pan though."

"A frying pan?" Vanille raised her brow, perplexed.

"Sorry." Fang laughed lightly. "Saw it in one of Serah's movies."

Vanille smiled at Fang's amusement, but ultimately a nervous look settled across her features.

"Don't worry, Vanille," Fang told her seriously, touching the side of her face and looking into her eyes. "If anything else happens, I'm gonna protect you. You don't need a knife when you've got me."

Vanille smiled warmly, sincerely comforted even though she knew that Fang could not be with her at all times.

Xxx

Lightning looked up when she heard a noise behind her. She smiled faintly as she realized that it was just Ripper padding down the stairs. The dog paused beside her chair, barking once before he jumped into her lap.

"Quiet. People are sleeping," Lightning mumbled as she closed out of the web chat on her laptop and shut the screen. The ex-soldier patted the puppy's head and sighed. "Who do you think through the brick through the window?"

Ripper barked again and licked her face.

"You have to be quiet," Lightning scolded with a frown.

A strange noise sounded by the window. Ripper's tail stood up straight and he barked again, but Lightning silenced him by covering his mouth with her hand.

After waiting a moment, Lightning set the puppy down on the couch and told him firmly to stay. When she was sure that he would not move, she crept across the room and lowered the cardboard away from the window, leaving nothing but a brown paper screen between herself and the outside world. A person stood in front of the screen, casting a dark shadow through the brown paper. It was impossible to see anything but a silhouette, but the shadow lifted its hand as though to touch the opaque screen.

Ripper suddenly snarled loudly, causing the silhouette to flinch and sprint away.

Lightning immediately ran to the door, throwing it open and shutting it behind her so that Ripper could not follow. Snowflakes rained down on her, filling her eyes and making it difficult to see. The footprints that had been left behind were quickly filling up with snow, so Lightning sprinted around the corner in time to find a black-clad figure disappearing at the forest line.

The ex-soldier dimly registered the barrel of a gunblade as the shadowy figure crouched behind one of the trees. Instinct threw her onto her stomach before the small pop filled the air. The shot would have went right through her leg if she did not move out of the way.

Lightning remained on the ground until she could no longer see the perpetrator or the gun. When she thought that it was safe to move, she raced into the forest, searching for signs of the escaped attacker, but all that she could do was wander in circles as the snow swallowed up all the evidence. Soon she realized that she could not track the perpetrator through the woods in those conditions, so she scoffed and stomped back into the house. She did not bother taking off her boots as she ran up the stairs. By the time she reached the attic, she assumed that she had woken half the house anyway, so she knocked loudly on Fang's door.

"I'm coming in!"

Fang was already sitting up in bed rubbing her exhausted eyes, and Vanille lay next to her, still asleep.

"Put warm clothes on," Lightning snapped. "The guy who threw the brick came back. I just chased him into the woods."

"What'd he look like?" Fang asked, instantly alert. "Do you know who it was?"

"All I saw was a black hoodie. It was snowing too hard and he shot at me."

"Are you all right?" Fang studied her.

Lightning nodded impatiently. "We have to go _now_. Get up."

"What do you need me for if he got away?" Fang asked, adding humorously, "Want me to interrogate the trees?"

"You're a hunter, right?" Lightning crossed her arms. "A tracker?"

Fang nodded as she immediately understood. "I'll get my coat."

"I'll see you downstairs," Lightning replied as she stomped away.

"What's going on?" Vanille asked quietly, her eyes still closed.

"I'm gonna go with Lightning for a little while, but I'll be back soon." Fang leaned forwards to kiss her cheek. "Stay here, okay? Kiwi's sleeping right now. If he starts barking, that means something's wrong."

Ripper suddenly ran in through the open door, whimpering.

"Now they're both in here, so you're extra safe," Fang assured Vanille gently.

"Fang, they're too little to protect me," Vanille replied with a faint smile.

"They can still bark if something's wrong, so make sure you're paying attention to them," Fang told her gently as she climbed out of bed.

With a sleepy nod, Vanille mumbled, "Be careful, Fang. I worry about you."

"I will be."

Xxx

Lightning led Fang into the forest, indicating where she had lost the shooter. "He went that way."

Fang nodded and crept carefully into the woods, ducking under the branches so she would not disturb them. "He went this way. Look at all the broken branches. He's obviously not used to forest travel."

The ex-soldier followed quietly behind. "All the footprints disappeared. Damn snow."

"It's not his fault, Light," Fang joked. "He was sleeping upstairs."

"_Ha ha_," Lightning replied, deadpan.

"Look. Your shooter cut his arm right here." Fang pointed at a twisted branch with a bit of blood on the end. "He must've been looking behind him while he was running away. He thought you were still after him."

Lightning nodded, gripping her gunblade as she surveyed their surroundings.

"Looks like he was in a big hurry. I guess he was pretty scared you'd catch him," Fang commented idly as she crept between the trees. "That's good to know."

"He _should_ be afraid of me. If he breaks me window again, I'll find him and kill him myself," Lightning exclaimed loudly, hoping he was close enough to hear.

"That's good. Let's make him even angrier at us."

Fang moved swiftly through the forest, her ears pricking every time Lightning took a step behind her. Though the trained soldier was quiet enough that most others would not hear her steps, they were quite loud to Fang, who had spent most of her life learning to listen to the quietest forest sounds.

"The trail ends here," Fang exclaimed as she and Lightning stopped in front of a dark road. "Look at the way the snow drifted. He had an air car waiting here."

"Maybe he's working with someone," Lightning suggested with narrowed eyes. "If it was two people or a group, then it would make more sense that they would want to take down all three of us."

Fang nodded thoughtfully. "Let's go back to the house. There's nothing else we can do now."

Although she nodded, Lightning clenched her fists. "I'll get him next time."

"Just be careful," Fang warned. "If he shot at you, he's dangerous."

"He didn't shoot to kill," Lightning argued. "He just wanted to injure me so I couldn't catch him."

"You don't know that," Fang cautioned. "Maybe he's just a lousy shot."

Lightning rolled her eyes but conceded. "Maybe."

"Either way, we have to report this. Do you wanna call or should I?"

"I'll do it."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

AN: Here is the third installment of Crimes of Passion. I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: FFXIII plot and characters belong to Square Enix. OCs and everything else belongs to me.

Vanille sprinkled an assortment of hot spices into her hand and dropped them delicately into the large, steaming pot of soup that she was stirring together on the stove. She quickened her pace with the spoon, distributing the different colored spices evenly, before she leaned forwards and breathed in the delicious scent of the dish.

Turning to her partner with a grin, the younger woman exclaimed, "Fang, it's been so long since we've cooked dinner together. This is really nice."

"I agree, and it's about time we do this for Serah anyways," Fang replied, throwing a smile over her shoulder as she continued dicing onions and peppers on a small wooden cutting board. "She's been cooking dinner for everyone practically every night since we moved in here."

Vanille nodded. "She's really grateful we're doing this, too. Do you think they'll like what we're making?"

"I dunno. Light can't take spicy food. It makes her face all red," Fang replied with a chuckle. "As for the others, it depends what they like."

The younger woman furrowed her brows with worry. "What if Hope and Dajh don't like it? Remember what happened at Christmas?"

"You mean when Light poisoned their cookies?" Fang chortled, shaking her head. "I hope you're not making the soup _that_ spicy."

Vanille dipped the spoon into the hot liquid and blew on it for a moment before tasting it. Then she grinned. "Nope. It tastes really good!"

"I bet they'll all like it," Fang suggested optimistically. "We're great cooks."

"It's 'cause we're such a good team, Fang," Vanille proposed with a loving smile.

Fang nodded in agreement. "Always have been."

Serah walked into the room and breathed in deeply. "Wow! That smells wonderful. What are you making?"

"It's a recipe from Oerba," Vanille explained excitedly. "Spicy soup with warm bread for dipping and a really tasty salad. You'll love it. It's got way more flavor than the salads we usually have."

"That sounds delicious, and the soup smells really amazing." Serah crossed the kitchen to peek into the pot. "What spices did you use?"

"That's our secret," Fang replied teasingly.

"Oh, okay." Serah laughed lightly and leaned against the counter. "Have either of you seen Claire today?"

"Yeah, she finally tried on her dress," Vanille reported with a smile. "It looked really good and doesn't need any alterations. Did you see it?"

"No. That's why I wanted to know if you had seen her." Serah sighed with relief. "I'm so glad the dress fits. She wouldn't let me look the first time she tried it on."

"Last I saw her, Light was still at headquarters when I was leaving," Fang explained as she pushed the chopped onions aside and began cutting up a tomato for the salad. "Vanille, did you start making the sauce for the salad yet or should I do that?"

"I didn't make it yet, but here's the bowl I was gonna use," Vanille murmured as she passed a small bowl to her love.

"Sauce?" Serah blinked curiously. "You put sauce on salad?"

"It's a cold sauce," Vanille amended, "but it's thick like salsa and really tasty. You'll love it. It was one of the matron's favorite recipes at the orphanage."

"Is it spicy?"

"It can be, but we usually make it pretty mild," Fang explained. "Vanille makes it really salty, but I can make it sweet if you want."

"Fang, you make it way saltier than I do," Vanille protested, sticking her tongue out.

Fang laughed. "Either way, I can make it sweet."

"That might be better if the soup is salty," Serah suggested gently.

Sazh suddenly walked through the kitchen door with an excited look on his face. "Wow! I was just coming in here for a drink of water, but what's that amazing smell? I didn't know you girls cooked."

"Sure do," Fang replied as she came up beside Vanille to gather the ingredients they had already put out for the sauce and a few others that would help make it sweeter. As she passed by, she could not resist pecking Vanille on the cheek.

Vanille giggled happily, smiling at Fang, before she turned to look at Sazh and explained, "Fang and I have been cooking since we first moved in together in Oerba. We never got to spend much time together during the day, since Fang was always in the woods with the other hunters and I was working for the jewelry maker, so we always cooked dinner together. Then we'd get to talk about our day and spend some time together before we went to sleep."

"That sounds nice," Sazh commented with a smile before getting his drink. "Well, I'm gonna go play some more games with the boys before dinner. They never get tired."

"Maybe we shouldn't let them play all day like that," Serah suggested, frowning. "They should be studying."

"They're on vacation, Serah," Fang protested with a chuckle. "Let them take a break from learning."

"Hey, Serah, did you—?" Snow walked into the room and paused, surprised that everyone was standing together in one place. "Oh, hey, everyone. I thought Serah would be the one cooking dinner."

"We're giving her a break for once," Vanille replied cheerfully.

"Great." He smiled enthusiastically before turning to his fiancée and wrapping his arm around her waist. "How was your day? Did you hear that Lightning finally tried on her dress?"

"How do you know?" Serah asked curiously. "Did you see her?"

He shook his head, laughing. "I know because she left during her lunch break to meet Vanille at the bridal shop."

"How come you got to go with her and I didn't?" Fang asked Vanille teasingly.

"'Cause I'm the assistant maid of honor," Vanille replied smugly, giggling. "You didn't offer to help, did you?"

Everyone laughed and Snow looked down at Serah. "So, how was your day?"

"It was really good. I settled everything with the banquet hall. We just have to give them a final number once we know exactly who is coming. I also tried on my dress and bought it. It's perfect Snow. They only have to make one small alteration, so it will definitely be done in time for the wedding."

"That's great!" He exclaimed enthusiastically, wrapping his other arm around her and leaning down to kiss her lips. "Did you get to see Light in her dress? I don't know if she stopped home or not…"

"No, I didn't get to see it," Serah pouted.

"I tried to take a picture for you, Serah, but Light wouldn't let me," Vanille interjected.

Sazh laughed, shaking his head. "You didn't pick one of those crazy bridesmaids' dresses, did you, Serah?"

"No!" Serah gasped. "It's a perfectly beautiful dress."

"It looked really good, too," Vanille insisted.

"Anyway," Serah turned to Snow and placed her hands on her hips. "You have to stop working my sister so hard so I can see her in her dress."

"What do you mean?" Snow asked, a look of confusion covering his features.

"Fang said Claire was still at headquarters when she left. Why does she go into the office so much? Fang doesn't go in half as much as she does."

"Maybe Fang's just not as hard a worker as Lightning," Vanille joked, nudging her partner in the side with a playful smile.

"Careful, Vanille." Fang smirked as she poked her in the arm. "Your contract doesn't specifically say I can't play any pranks on _you_."

The younger woman merely giggled.

"Light _has_ been going in a lot lately, but she wasn't at headquarters when I left," Snow exclaimed with a thoughtful look. "I assumed she left to come home."

"Do you think Claire _is_ home?" Serah asked worriedly as she peeked out into the living room. "I didn't hear her come in."

Fang and Vanille shared a look as the older of the two leaned down and whispered in her ear, "See what I mean? Light's always sneaking around. I know she's up to something."

"I bet she's seeing someone," Vanille replied with a grin.

"Well, we're gonna find out, now aren't we?" Fang replied quietly.

"You can't do anything mean to Lightning, Fang," Vanille reminded her gleefully. "It goes against the contract."

Fang merely laughed.

"I think I'll go check upstairs," Serah exclaimed, having been unable to hear what Fang and Vanille were discussing. "After what happened with the window, I'm worried about her."

"Don't be nervous if she's not up there, Serah," Fang intervened with a reassuring smile. "Light can take care of herself. I'm sure she's okay wherever she is."

"If we don't hear from her by dinnertime, someone should give her a call," Sazh suggested on his way out of the kitchen. "Anyway, I'm off to teach those kids a lesson about how being an old man does _not_ make me bad at video games."

Everyone twittered with amusement.

The others slowly flooded out of the room, leaving Fang to chop the vegetables for the salad as Vanille added a bit of salt to the soup.

Kiwi and Ripper suddenly burst into the kitchen, racing around the room. Ripper crashed into the legs of one of the chairs and jumped backwards with a bark of surprise before pouncing on Kiwi. The two of them rolled around for a moment before they seemed to catch a whiff of the soup on the stove. Immediately, the two puppies scrambled across the floor, pawing at Fang's legs and whimpering.

"You two want some scraps, don't ya?" Fang asked with a grin, wiping her hands on a towel and walking across the room to replace the dog food in their bowls. She dropped in a few pieces of chopped meat for good measure and mumbled, "I hope you two like Gran Pulsian spices or you're in for a surprise."

Vanille grinned over her shoulder. "We should've had a wolfdog back in Oerba. They're so cute."

"Not for long. They'll be good protectors when they're big, and they might start looking pretty scary," Fang replied teasingly as she wrapped her arms around Vanille's waist from behind and pulled her close.

"I bet they'll still be cute to me," Vanille replied as she momentarily abandoned the soup and covered Fang's arms with her own, sinking back into her embrace with a pleasant sigh.

"Once they're big, I won't have to worry about you so much anymore," Fang murmured as she rested her cheek atop Vanille's head.

"Fang, I won't be alone in the house forever. Once I get a store, I'll be out all day."

"I'll still worry about you, so you can take the dogs to the store with you," Fang replied firmly, kissing her cheek.

Vanille laughed and turned her head to the side to capture Fang's lips. "I'll be okay no matter where I am, Fang. They're gonna catch the guy who threw that brick, and then we'll be perfectly safe again."

"I know, but I'll probably still worry even then," Fang argued as she hugged her close. "I can't help it 'cause I love you so much."

Vanille grinned happily and turned around to wrap her arms around Fang's waist. She snuggled into her embrace, feeling completely safe in Fang's strong arms, and nuzzled against her. "I love you, too, Fang."

As they spent a few moments holding each other close, Vanille mused that aside from the dangerous events of the past weekend, she loved every moment of their new life together.

Xxx

Fang was right in the middle of a good dream when an obnoxious ringing filled her ears. Her eyes snapped open and she sat up, pulling away from Vanille as she searched the dark bedroom for the source of the sound. It took her only a moment to realize that her PMC was ringing on the nightstand, so she turned onto the side and reached for it. After accidentally knocking the alarm clock onto the floor and cursing quietly, Fang finally managed to press the 'send' button and lift the communication device to her ear.

"Yeah?" Fang answered halfway through a yawn.

"Agent Yun, this is Agent Young. We've got a crime scene out at the abandoned house on Rt. 2 that I think you need to see immediately. How quickly can you get here?"

"You need me there right now? It's the middle of the night," Fang protested with a frown. "Does it have something to do with whoever threw that brick through our window?"

"Just get down here, Agent Yun. I don't have time to explain. We're still securing the area, and it's kind of a disaster out here."

Fang did not like the sound of that. "All right. I'll be there as soon as I can."

Vanille stirred and sat up, rubbing her eyes. She glanced to the side just in time to see Fang hanging up her phone and trying to slide out of bed. The younger woman immediately crawled toward her and threw her arms around her waist, murmuring sleepily, "Don't go anywhere, Fang. It's too late."

"I've gotta go, Vanille," Fang told her as she wrapped one arm around her back and kissed her temple. "You'll be safe here with everyone else."

"Why do you have to go right now?" Vanille asked with a sleepy pout.

"I dunno. Whatever happened must have something to do with us," Fang explained as she released her gently and leaned down to press a quick kiss on her lips. "I've gotta get dressed. You can stay in bed if you want. It's only two in the morning."

Vanille pushed the covers off of herself and sat on the edge of the bed, glancing over her shoulder. "Should we wake up the others? They'll wanna know."

Fang paused, listening to the sounds of creaks downstairs. "It sounds like people are already awake. Maybe Snow and Lightning got the call too."

"I'm gonna come downstairs with you," Vanille yawned as she slipped out of bed and pulled a warm bathrobe around herself.

Fang shrugged and crossed the room to quickly dress before she took Vanille's hand and tugged her out the door. They both smiled when Kiwi dragged himself lazily out of his puppy bed and padded after them, and it was even more amusing when they were joined by Ripper in the hallway, who whimpered as though it was far too early to be awake.

"I guess Light's awake, too," Fang commented. "Ripper couldn't get out of her room otherwise."

When Vanille and Fang reached the kitchen, they found Snow and Serah speaking in hushed tones. Both of them jumped when they heard footsteps, but Snow looked relieved to see that it was just the two of them.

"Did you get a call from Agent Young too?" Snow asked.

Fang nodded solemnly. "Light must've gotten it, too. Ripper followed us down here."

Snow watched as the two puppies sniffed around the kitchen before he turned back to Fang. "Okay. We'll wait for Lightning and then drive together. Agent Young sounded really urgent."

"Do you know what they found?" Fang asked curiously.

He shook his head gravely. "Agent Young just said it was really important."

"I guess we'll find out when we get there."

Several moments passed in uncomfortable silence before Fang finally crossed her arms and grumbled, "Where the hell's Light? We've gotta go."

"Are you sure Agent Young called her too?" Serah asked quietly. "Maybe he thought you would tell her."

"He didn't mention that," Fang mumbled. "I dunno why he wouldn't call her."

"Okay. I'll go get her and tell her to hurry."

As Serah disappeared up the stairs, Vanille groggily hugged Fang's arm. "Be careful, okay? It might be something dangerous."

"I'm always careful," Fang murmured humorously, sharing a quick kiss with her. "Go back upstairs to bed. I dunno when we'll be back, but there's no reason for you to stay up all night."

"I'll go up after you leave." Vanille watched the dogs race by and smiled faintly. "I'll take them with me too. Otherwise they might destroy the house."

"Good idea." Fang laughed.

Serah suddenly walked back into the kitchen, her eyes wide with worry. "Claire isn't here. I looked out the window. Her air car is gone."

Fang frowned. "Was her bedroom door open?"

The youngest Farron sister nodded.

"It was like that when we went to bed," Fang murmured thoughtfully. "Do you think she slept somewhere else?"

"Why would she do that?" Serah asked.

"We'll have to ask her later, but Fang and I should leave," Snow interrupted urgently, kissing Serah's cheek. "Go back to bed, okay? We'll be back soon."

"What about Claire? What if something happened to her?"

"I'm sure she'll meet us there," Fang replied with a reassuring look. "Both of you get back upstairs for now, and if you hear any strange sounds or the puppies start acting up, call NORA."

Both women nodded and promised their partners that they would be fine before Fang and Snow solemnly exited the house.

"I'll drive," Snow murmured as he tugged his keys out of his pocket and hopped into his air car. "I know a shortcut."

Fang nodded and remained silent as she studied the area suspiciously. Whatever had happened at the crime scene could be a distraction, and she did not feel very good about leaving everyone alone. She absently hoped that Vanille would have the sense to wake up Sazh and tell him what was going on just in case someone tried to break into the house.

"Let's get this over with quickly," Fang mumbled suddenly. "I don't like leaving Vanille by herself like this."

He nodded in agreement. "We're definitely all better off together than spread apart."

Xxx

The drive was quiet and felt much longer than the ten minutes that it took. Both Fang and Snow were lost in their thoughts, each privately trying to figure out how the new crime scene might be related to them and what had happened at the house. Fang could not stop wondering if what had began as a brick through the window would turn into an unending nightmare. Would they be in danger again? Would they have to start fighting after they had finally found their way to a new, peaceful life?

"Are you worried about Lightning?" Snow asked suddenly.

"Not yet." Fang assured him with a thoughtful look. "I'm sure she'll meet us there."

Fang and Vanille had both suspected for a while that Lightning was sneaking around and disappearing so often because she was secretly dating someone and did not want to tell them, so when she had not been at the house the previous night, Fang had thought nothing of it. However, between the brick through the window, the phantom figure stalking the grounds outside their house, and the alleged bounty hunter, it seemed plausible that something could have happened to the ex-soldier. Even if Lightning was strong, there were times when a bad situation was enough to take down the most powerful of adversaries. In spite of what she had told Snow and Serah, Fang could not shake the feeling that something might have happened to Light, and if that was the case, she would never forgive herself for letting her guard down.

Snow pulled onto Rt. 2 and frowned curiously as he noticed a strange patch of dark clouds spreading across the sky. There was an odd orange glow reflecting off of them which seemed to flicker as though the NORA agents had filled the street with flares, but there was no source of light around them.

"What is that?" Snow asked curiously.

Fang stiffened, frowning. "I've seen that glow before. It's a fire."

"What?" Snow gasped. "In the forest?"

"No." Fang shook her head and leaned closer to the dashboard to see out the windshield more clearly. "I can see it now. It's the abandoned house that Light and I investigated. Someone set it on fire. This must be the crime scene."

"Can the fire spread?" Snow asked with wide eyes. "What about the town?"

"It looks like the firefighters have it under control," Fang replied.

Snow sighed with relief. "Good."

Fang's stomach tightened as she wondered why Agent Young would call them to the scene of a house fire.

"It looks like all the other agents parked over here," Snow commented idly as he pulled onto the side of the road. He was so anxious to figure out what had happened that he put the car in park, pocketed his keys, and strode down the street without even waiting for Fang to get out of the car.

The Gran Pulsian woman waited in her seat for a long moment, her eyes flicking around the forest line as she simultaneously searched for dangerous creatures that might have been attracted to the fire and for perpetrators who might want to watch the results of their disturbance. However, Fang did not spot anything of interest, so she eventually pulled herself out of the car and made sure the doors were locked before beginning her slow trek down the street. As she walked, her fingers slid over the handle of the hunting knife that she had tucked into her jacket pocket. The gun in her other pocket was heavier, but she did not have the same relationship with that weapon. Her hunting knife had saved her life hundreds of times, and she had used it for so many years that it was like an extension of herself, just like her staff.

Fang was only the length of a house away from the crime scene. She could see Snow and Agent Young speaking in the distance against the backdrop of flames, but quiet footsteps crunching through the snowy street behind her caused her to spin around and take up a defensive pose, her gun in one hand and the knife in the other.

"Relax." Lightning walked past her, looking over her shoulder. "It's just me."

"Just you." Fang snickered. "Well, I wouldn't know since I've barely seen you lately. Where've you been all night?"

"None of your business," Lightning replied firmly.

"You're seeing someone, aren't you?" Fang teased, a faint smirk covering her features. "Why don't you just tell everyone the truth? Serah'll be so happy."

Lightning ignored her. "What's going on here?"

"There's a fire, but that's all I know so far."

"Why would they call us here for a fire?"

"If I knew that answer to that, I would've have said that's all I know," Fang replied humorously before sobering and pocketing her hands. "It's gotta be related to what happened at our house."

"_My_ house," Lightning corrected.

Fang rolled her eyes. "You say that now, but you're gonna miss us when we're gone."

As the two women walked closer to Agent Young, the fog seemed to clear away, revealing that the firefighters had the fire completely at bay and were in the process of suffocating the last of the flames. The abandoned house was nothing but charred remains of wooden beams, blackened walls, and metal pieces that had melted down and twisted like rubber.

"We're lucky it's winter," Fang mumbled. "The fire could've spread into the woods otherwise."

"Agent Yun, Agent Farron, there you are!" Agent Young suddenly shouted, motioning them over. "I'm glad you're here. I was just explaining the situation to Captain Villiers. Even though we just got the fire under control, there is already evidence that it was set on purpose. Someone was trying to send the three of you another message."

"What makes you think so?" Fang asked with a frown.

"Follow me."

Agent Young led the three of them closer to the house and pointed to the bottom of the driveway, which had been shoveled right down to the pavement. Someone had drawn an arrow in chalk pointing toward the now charred house and scribbled in fancy letters, _3 NORA agents under one roof._

"Are they threatening to burn my house down?" Lightning snapped angrily.

"They're definitely threatening to do something malicious," Agent Young replied with a grave look. "That's not all we found. There was something else on top of the driveway. It's in the SIU van now. They're dusting for prints."

"Did anyone in the house down the road see anything? Have they been interviewed?" Snow asked as they walked toward the van parked on the side of the road a ways down the street.

Agent Young nodded. "We've followed all the regular procedures, Captain. The people in that house are the ones who called in the fire, but they didn't see anything before they noticed the flames."

"You didn't have a chance to find any more evidence yet?" Fang asked. "Did you check close to the house or around the woods nearby?"

"No one looked in the woods yet. We were too busy trying to put out the fire. I'll send someone out there before the night is over."

Agent Young knocked twice on the back of the van and the door swung open to reveal Agent Sovina with a cautious look on her face. She relaxed when they saw them. "Do you have something else for me?"

"Not yet." Agent Young shook his head. "Can you bring out the dollhouse? I want them to get a look at it before they go."

"Dollhouse?" Lightning asked with furrowed brows.

Agent Sovina gave a nod and used her gloved hands to pick up a small wooden dollhouse and hold it out for them to see.

Snow's eyes widened. "What is this?"

"We found it on the driveway next to the message," Agent Young explained.

It was a small and simple dollhouse that had clearly been carved by hand. The rooms were tiny and barren, and the walls had been covered with black dust which looked like soot. Sitting in the center of the miniature house were three dolls which were too large for any of the rooms. They were made of fabric messily stitched together, and the first two had pink and black hair and were wearing street clothes and the third had yellow hair and was dressed in a NORA captain's uniform, or was meant to look like one. Each of the dolls was pouting, tear lines drawn down their faces.

"Well, this is freaky," Fang murmured, narrowing her eyes.

"Are those supposed to be us?" Snow asked with a frown.

"This is serious," Lightning replied humorously.

"Someone really wants us scared," Fang agreed.

"Well, I'm at least concerned," Snow exclaimed, glaring into the darkness of the woods over his shoulders. "We have to figure out who's doing this quickly. I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"Anyone who thinks they should try to burn down my house should reconsider," Lightning grumbled angrily, clenching her fists. "It took me a long time to make that place perfect. If someone tries to destroy it, I _will_ kill—"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Fang warned with a sigh as she nodded for Agent Sovina to return to dusting the dollhouse for prints. "This is just a warning. Like I said, they want us scared. Either this is a distraction from another crime or a legitimate threat, but we need to figure out which one fast or the people we care about are gonna be in danger."

"I'll post a few agents outside of your house," Agent Young suggested.

"No." Lightning narrowed her eyes. "They already came back once. We can lure them there again."

"That's not safe," Agent Young argued, looking to Snow for his help.

Snow frowned uncomfortably. "This is a really difficult situation. We need to figure out who's doing this, and right now we don't have any leads."

"What about the evidence from Light's house?" Fang asked with a frown.

"We have a blood sample from where the perp scratched himself outside but nothing to compare it to," Agent Sovina offered from the van. When everyone looked at her, she suggested, "Making it seem like you're unprotected to draw this bastard out might be the only way to catch him."

"Snow, let Fang and I investigate this on our own," Lightning grumbled, narrowing her eyes. "We'll need time off from all our other cases."

"I don't think you two should be directly involved," Snow argued with a frown. "We're all too close to this."

"Damn right, we're close," Fang argued angrily. "I'm not letting whoever's behind this get away with making our lives miserable, and I might be the only one who can catch this asshole. He keeps running off into the woods."

Snow seemed to consider that.

"You two can't solve this alone," Agent Young interrupted with a frown. "You need more than two people."

"We'll be fine," Lightning grumbled angrily.

"Captain Villiers," Agent Young protested, "I'm already on this case _and_ I have seniority."

"It's my house they're trying to burn down, Snow." Lightning glared at him. "If you try to stop me from investigating this, I'll quit and do it on my own anyway."

Snow hung his head, sighing. "Okay, here's what we're going to do. Fang, Lightning, you can investigate this, but not on your own. Agent Young, Agent Sovina, and the others who are already working on the case are going to help you. It seems like this perp is dangerous, so I'm going to take you off your other cases for now."

Fang took a step backwards. "I'm going into the woods. I'll call if I find anything."

"Fang, you need backup," Snow argued.

"I used to hunt bears on my own with nothing but a spear," Fang assured him with a wry smile. "I don't need help. Light, you stay here and help them look through the wreckage."

Lightning nodded stiffly.

"Keep in touch," Snow told Fang firmly. "If we don't hear from you in half an hour, I'm coming in after you."

Fang merely nodded, waving at them before she sprinted across the street and disappeared into the shadows.

Xxx

Snow and Fang pulled quietly into the driveway as Lightning set her air car down behind them and parked. The three agents were exhausted as they climbed out of the two cars and dragged their feet all the way up to the house. Their perfect, safe new world had been shattered, and although they were not particularly frightened of what the psychopath might attempt to do to them, each had their own private fears about what might happen if the house was successfully infiltrated or destroyed.

Before they opened the door, Lightning grumbled, "We shouldn't tell the others about the dollhouse. It will just scare them all."

Fang shook her head. "I don't keep secrets from Vanille."

Lightning rolled her eyes. "Well, I guess you have the perfect relationship, don't you?"

The Gran Pulsian's eyes widened with confusion. "Is something wrong, Light?"

"No," Lightning replied stiffly as she glared at Snow. "Are you going to tell Serah?"

"I think everyone in the house deserves to know," Snow replied gently. "We need to tell Sazh, too. He, Hope, Dajh, Serah, and Vanille are all going to be home during the day for at least another week."

Lightning sighed in agreement and unlocked the front door, pushing it open. She stiffened with surprise as she spotted Vanille and Sazh both standing in front of the door, the first armed with her binding rod and the second with a gun.

"Oh, Fang, you're back," Vanille exclaimed, relaxing as she lowered her weapon.

Sazh smiled wryly. "Sorry, everyone. Can't be too careful."

"You can _never_ be too careful," Fang agreed fervently as she moved forwards and wrapped her arms around Vanille's waist. "Did anything happen while we were gone?"

"Nope." Vanille snuggled against Fang, hugging her close. "Everything's fine. We woke up Sazh 'cause we didn't know when you were coming home and we're still kind on edge. We've all been in the kitchen. Serah made tea."

Fang nodded, understanding. "Well, it just got worse, so let's go in the kitchen and sit."

The three NORA agents slid out of their boots and jackets and motioned for everyone else to return to the kitchen where they all found Serah standing at the sink staring out the window with a lost look on her face. Kiwi and Ripper were lying on the floor beside each other, but their eyes traveled the room cautiously. It was clear that the two puppies could sense that something was wrong though they were not clear quite what was going on.

"Serah, are you okay?" Snow asked immediately as he crossed the room and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"I'm fine." She forced a smile and turned to face him. "What about you? What did you find?"

"Let's sit down first," Fang suggested as she took Vanille's hand and tugged her to the table.

"I'll explain," Lightning informed everyone as she took her own seat. When everyone else joined her, she gave the details of the house fire and the dollhouse with a deep frown on her face. As her sister grew more frightened, she added, "Fang and I are taking this case now. We're not doing anything else until we figure out who's doing this."

"Why would someone want to burn down the house?" Serah asked nervously.

"No one's gonna burn down this house," Fang assured her. "We're gonna catch them first. We just gotta figure out who could hate us so much."

"Can we just go back to sleep for now?" Vanille asked quietly as she scooted closer to Fang and rested her head against her shoulder. "I don't wanna be alone."

Fang smiled apologetically. "There's something I've gotta do first, but you should go upstairs and take the dogs with you. Everyone turn out all the lights like you're sleeping."

Vanille pouted. "How long will you be gone?"

"I dunno, but hopefully not long." Fang kissed Vanille's forehead. "Take the dogs upstairs, okay?"

"Vanille, you can stay in our room for a while if you're scared," Serah suggested gently.

"Or you can stay in the basement with the kids and me," Sazh added.

The Gran Pulsian woman shook her head. "I'm okay. I'll have the dogs."

Fang ran her fingers through Vanille's hair. "Are you sure?"

Vanille nodded, grinning as she reminded her, "I took down that scary guy in the woods when we were younger, remember? I can handle being alone in our bedroom."

"Okay." Fang leaned forwards to kiss her lips gently. "Then get upstairs. Lightning and I are gonna find a way to catch the bastard in the act."

Xxx

Once all the lights were off in the house and everyone was either asleep or lying very quietly in their beds, Lightning and Fang put on the darkest clothes they could find, locked up all the doors and windows, and then crept up to the second floor. They turned their PMCs into walkie-talkies, lowering the volume in case anyone was listening, and moved to opposite sides of the house, checking outside of all the windows.

Fang crept to one of the windows at the front of the house and stared at the street, pursing her lips as she crouched down and waited. She whispered into her walkie-talkie, "Light, it's not possible that this perp bugged our house, right? We don't still have the brick?"

"He's never been in the house," Lightning replied stiffly.

"D'you see anything?"

"No. Be quiet. I'm trying to concentrate."

Fang smiled faintly, trying to lighten the mood, "You're no fun."

Lightning ignored her.

The Gran Pulsian waited by the window for so long that her knees began to ache, but she still did not stand. She knew that whoever was responsible was going to return to the scene of the original crime. It was all textbook so far. Whatever they were trying to do, they simply could not help but check on their victims and make sure that everything was going according to plan.

Fang was about to give up and tell Lightning it was time to go to bed when a sleek black air car with the lights turned off pulled up on the street in front of the house. With wide eyes, Fang exclaimed into the walkie-talkie, "Light, I've got him."

"What makes you so sure it's a him?"

The Gran Pulsian squinted her eyes as she watched a black-clad figure slink out of the car and crunch through the snow toward the house. "He's too big to be a woman, not the right body type."

"Are you sure?"

"I think I know women's bodies pretty well," Fang joked with a grin.

"This is serious," Lightning criticized. "I'm going downstairs to watch him from the other windows. You stay there. Take a picture of the license plate."

"I can't see it from this angle, but I'll take a picture of the car."

Fang watched carefully as the man snuck through the snow toward the silent house. He was clearly headed for the window that he had shattered in the living room, and Fang had no idea what he was planning. The glass had already been fixed, but Lightning had covered the window with boards, deciding that she was not going to allow anyone to enter her house just because the window was too large. There was no way that he was going to get inside, especially not before Lightning took him down.

"What's he doing, Light?" Fang asked quietly.

"Shut up, Fang. He might hear the walkie-talkie."

The Gran Pulsian woman frowned but complied, considering going outside and checking if there was someone else waiting in the air car. She doubted it, because the perp had turned off the engine before he had gotten out. If he was working alone, he must be dedicated to making them suffer and have a lot of time on his hands.

As she continued to profile their stalker, Fang watched the black-clad shape suddenly sprint back through the yard and jump into the air car. She could see him sliding across the front seat so that he sat behind the steering wheel. He did not even bother to put on his seatbelt as he suddenly zoomed away.

"What just happened?" Fang asked quietly.

"He heard me," Lightning mumbled with a sigh. "I was trying to sneak closer to the window to see him, but the floor creaked."

"Well, at least we've got the make of the air car," Fang suggested as she stood up and walked toward the hallway.

Lightning met her at the top of the stairs. "Get up early tomorrow. We have a lot of work to do."

"What're we doing?" Fang asked with a raised brow.

"Setting traps," Lightning replied before turning and stomping down the hall toward her bedroom.

Fang frowned, because if they set traps then they could not allow the puppies to go outside. Watching her friend walk away, she called, "Well, goodnight to you, too."

Lightning ignored her.

Xxx

Vanille pulled the air car into the parking strip for the mall and turned off the engine before frowning at her friend. "Serah, do you really think we should be here on our own? Fang's gonna be mad at me."

"We'll only be here for a few minutes, and we'll be inside the mall the entire time," Serah assured her gently. "I know Fang and Lightning have been obsessing over catching whoever set that house on fire, but nothing bad has happened in almost three days."

"That's what we all said last time," Vanille reminded her with a sigh.

"Don't be scared, Vanille. This mall is really safe," Serah informed her friend with a grin. "I just need to pick up some things. We won't stay long."

With a nod, Vanille glanced suspiciously over her shoulder. Her eyes scanned the entire parking lot for danger as she attempted to draw upon some of the things Fang had taught her over the years.

"We should go cake testing tomorrow," Serah suggested lightheartedly as they climbed out of the car. "I bet I can get Snow to take the day off, and you can bring Fang if you want."

"What about the others?" Vanille asked curiously.

"Lightning doesn't want to go and Sazh has a job interview. I invited Hope and Dajh though. Dajh sounded really excited."

"Oh."

Serah continued making conversation as the two of them walked toward the mall, but Vanille's responses were distracted. A twisting feeling had lodged itself in her gut, and she was sure that something was wrong. There was no one suspicious around them, but she could not shake the instinctive feeling to run and hide.

"Serah, I think we should go home," Vanille exclaimed, cutting through her friend's words.

"Vanille, there is nothing to be afraid of."

The Gran Pulsian woman frowned, because she did not agree with that statement. Even if nothing had happened in a few days, they were in a very serious situation. She did not want to tell Serah that she had to remain in the house for the rest of time until Fang and Lightning finally made a break in the case, but she thought that it would at least be better if they were a little more careful. What if someone had attacked them in the parking lot?

The two women walked quietly into the mall, entering the first few shops and leaving in disappointment. Vanille was not exactly sure what Serah was looking for, but the other woman did not seem to think it was important to tell her, so the dark pink-haired woman eventually stopped paying attention to her, her eyes still scanning the immediately area.

Vanille suddenly flinched. "Serah…"

"Vanille, I'm telling you, we're fine."

"No, Serah, look!" Vanille grabbed her friend's arm and pointed behind her.

Serah looked over her shoulder and gasped with surprise. "That's the bounty hunter. Is he following us again?"

"I dunno, but let's get inside a store," Vanille exclaimed as she grabbed Serah's arm and began to drag her away.

Serah peeked over her shoulder as they were retreating and saw the bounty hunter staring right back into her eyes. With a squeak of surprise, Serah began to move faster, pushing Vanille into the nearest store and hiding behind a rack of clothes.

"Do you think he's really a bounty hunter?"

"I dunno, but I think he's after us," Vanille whispered quietly, placing her hand on top of the gun that she had stolen from Lightning's room and shoved into her pocket that morning.

"Did he come in the store?"

Vanille frowned, peeking above the clothes and gasping. As she sunk back down, she nodded. "He's in here looking around. Why'd I let you convince me to go here, Serah? We shouldn't have come without Fang."

"I'm sorry. I thought we'd be okay," Serah whispered miserably.

Vanille peeked over the clothes again and promptly ducked back down. "He's coming toward us. I think he saw me."

The Gran Pulsian woman suddenly tugged the gun out of her pocket, checking to make sure that the safety was turned off.

"Do you even know how to use that?"

Vanille and Serah both spun around with surprise, and Vanille immediately pointed the gun at the bounty hunter, who was standing right behind them.

"Yeah, I know how to use it, and I'm gonna use it on you if you don't leave us alone," Vanille snapped angrily, trying to emulate Fang's tone of voice because she knew that most people found the other woman intimidating.

He stared at her for a moment before laughing. "Will you put that thing away before mall security sees you on the cameras and comes down here to arrest you?"

"No," Vanille snapped. "Leave us alone. Why're you following us?"

"I just have to ask you some questions," the bounty hunter explained, shifting uncomfortably as he eyed the gun. "I know you don't trust me, but I'm really not here to hurt you. I was after that woman and she got away. My superiors got all testy and suggested you two might know her, so I just have to take some quick statements from you to make sure you weren't involved with her and then I'll be on my way."

"What if we did know her? What would you do?" Vanille grumbled, refusing to lower her weapon. "I'm not gonna let you hurt us."

"Look, will you put that gun away?" He asked, lowering his voice. "I'm not here to hurt you. If I was, you'd already be hurt."

Vanille frowned, but she noticed one of the cashiers watching them suspiciously and trying to see what Vanille was holding in her hand, so the Gran Pulsian woman immediately shoved the gun into her pocket.

"Okay, did you know that woman or didn't you?" The bounty hunter asked.

"We didn't know her," Serah assured him with a nervous look. "So, leave us alone."

"See, I don't know if you're telling the truth or not," the bounty hunter grumbled. "What were you doing out shopping that day?"

"That's none of your business," Serah told him firmly.

He narrowed his eyes, raising his voice. "Listen, I need to make sure you two aren't involved or I can't leave you alone, so you better just answer my questions honestly."

"We don't know anything. We've never seen her before," Vanille cried angrily before lowering her voice. "Now, leave us alone. We may look small, but we can defend ourselves."

With a skeptical look, the bounty hunter grumbled, "You two shouldn't be out by yourselves like this. You never know what can happen."

Serah shared a concerned look with her friend.

"Are you threatening us?" Vanille demanded.

"No. I'm just giving you a friendly warning." He frowned as a sales associate came closer to them. Lowering his voice, he told them, "You better get back home before someone gets hurt."

"Is everything okay here?" The sales associate suddenly asked, frowning.

"Yeah, everything's fine. I was just saying goodbye to my friends," the bounty hunter replied as he gave Serah and Vanille a pointed look. "See you two around."

As soon as he was gone and the sales associate had drifted away, Vanille told Serah firmly, "We're going home right now, and we're not going out alone again."

Serah nodded meekly, frowning at her friend. "Why do you have a gun?"

Vanille shrugged, looking away. "Fang said I shouldn't bring a knife. People aren't like animals. They can steal weapons from you. A gun is easier, because I could pull the trigger while he was trying to take it."

"Do you know how to shoot?"

"I learned while I was traveling with Snow's friends on Cocoon," Vanille explained.

Serah frowned nervously. "Vanille, I wish you wouldn't bring that thing with us again. You should put it back in Lightning's room or wherever you got it when we get home. Guns are really dangerous and it's illegal for us to carry it in public."

Vanille frowned, shaking her head. "Serah, we've gotta be able to protect ourselves."

"Then you should come to my self-defense class with me," Serah insisted.

"Maybe that's a good idea," she conceded.

Vanille sighed wearily. Although she had always found a way to protect herself in Fang's absence in the past, they lived in a world where people had far more dangerous weapons than she and Fang had ever had in their village, and there were no trees in the immediate area which she could climb to hide or take her attacker by surprise.

Serah bit her lip as the two of them walked back to the car and quickly drove home. She did not know how much longer she could take living in suspense, and she really did need to resume planning for her wedding if she did not want to have to postpone the ceremony.

Xxx

Fang walked into the house with a sigh of defeat and glanced over her shoulder at Lightning, who was closing the door behind the two of them. "He's been here three times so far this week, but he hasn't tripped a single one of the traps. D'you think he watches us during the day, too?"

"I don't see how he could get close enough to see us without us knowing about it," Lightning replied stiffly, a deep frown growing on her features.

"Well, that sounds like the only explanation to me."

Lightning shrugged indifferently as she walked toward the stairs. "I'm calling Agent Young to see if he found anything."

"All right." Fang waved to her. "See you later."

The Gran Pulsian woman glanced across the room and noticed that Sazh, Dajh and Hope were all playing video games together again. She would have smiled if she did not spot Vanille sitting on the couch watching them with a nervous look on her face. The younger woman was hugging herself and had not even noticed Fang coming home.

Fang crossed the room and plopped down on the couch beside Vanille, wrapping her arm around her.

"Fang!" Vanille smiled faintly and wrapped her arms around her waist. "You're back."

"Yep. Here I am," Fang replied with a grin, hugging Vanille close and kissing her temple. "You don't look happy. What's wrong?"

Vanille bit her lip, frowning. "The bounty hunter was bothering us today."

"What?" Fang narrowed her eyes, pulling back to look at her. "What happened?"

The younger woman explained the situation quickly, adding, "He said he thought we knew something about the woman he was chasing, but I don't trust him, Fang. I think he was after us. He could be the one who threw the brick through the window."

Fang frowned, hugging her partner close. "Well, there's no reason to be scared right now. I'm here, and I'm gonna protect you."

Vanille pouted as she nuzzled against her shoulder. "But Fang, who's gonna protect you?"

"I don't need protecting right now," Fang assured her with a smirk. "I'm a hunter. If I could fight a King Behemoth with a spear and escape with my life, I think I can handle this."

The younger woman merely nodded, pouting. "I wanna be braver, Fang. I wanna help."

"You can help by staying safe," Fang explained, pulling back to give her a serious look. "I don't want you and Serah going out by yourselves anymore until we get this sorted out. Promise me."

Vanille nodded firmly. "I already told Serah that we can't do that again. I really don't trust the bounty hunter."

"Me either," Fang mumbled, shaking her head. "If he comes after you again, he's gonna have to answer to me."

"He could answer to me, too," Vanille told her firmly. "I brought a gun. I was gonna shoot him if he didn't leave us alone."

Fang raised her brows with surprise. "Where'd you get a gun?"

"Lightning's room," Vanille replied with an impish look. "Wanna hear a secret?"

"What?" Fang asked curiously, noting the change in Vanille's voice.

"Light's been video chatting with someone," Vanille replied quietly, hugging Fang so that she could whisper in her ear. "Her laptop was open on her bed, and I couldn't resist peeking. The chat window was open even though the conversation was closed."

"Did you see the name?" Fang asked with a growing smirk. "I bet it's her secret date."

"I agree," Vanille giggled. "I didn't see a name, but their last video call lasted over two hours! Who'd talk to someone for two whole hours in the middle of the night?"

Fang merely laughed, pulling back and running her fingers through Vanille's hair. "D'you wanna do something tonight? I've got work in the morning, but we could go shopping or see a movie."

Vanille lowered her eyes, frowning. "D'you think it's safe, Fang?"

"It's safe if you're with me," Fang promised her.

The younger woman sighed thoughtfully, weighing the pros and cons of leaving the house, and decided that she did not want to live in fear. With a grin, she said, "Let's go to a movie." With a giggle, she whispered, "I heard that's the best place to go since it means the most making out."

"Head about that, did ya?" Fang laughed, hugging her tightly. "Well, it's true. So, are you in the mood for some making out?"

Vanille giggled again, snuggling close to her, "Of course!"

Xxx

Hours later, Fang and Vanille returned from their movie just in time to catch Lightning trying to sneak out of the house.

Smirking, Fang asked her friend, "Where're you going this late at night?"

Lightning pursed her lips. "That's none of your business."

"I guess you want me to think you're going to the office to get some more work done?" Fang asked with a wide grin.

"I don't have to report to you," Lightning told her firmly as she shoved past her and walked out the door.

Fang laughed richly, glancing at Vanille. "I dunno why she won't just tell us that she's dating someone. There's no reason to keep it a secret."

"Maybe it makes her uncomfortable," Vanille suggested with a sigh.

"I don't see why," Fang mumbled. "Half the house is in loving relationships, and the other half is either too young or too old."

Vanille giggled. "Fang, Sazh is _not_ too old to date. Actually, I really hope he finds someone. It's gotta be lonely raising his son all by himself."

"Maybe." Fang took off her coat and put it in the closet before helping Vanille take off her coat as well.

"Thanks." Vanille grinned.

"No problem. I just love helping you take your clothes off," Fang teased as her arm fell around Vanille's waist, pulling the younger woman closer as they walked up the stairs. "Looks like everyone's sleeping. It's kind of early for that on a Friday night."

"Well, no one says we have to go straight to sleep," Vanille replied with a smirk as she tugged out of Fang's grasp and skipped up a few steps, turning around to look at her. "Right?"

Fang raised her brow playfully. "It's late, Vanille. What're we gonna do if we don't go to sleep?"

"Well, I guess you'll just have to find out," Vanille replied impishly as she turned around and jogged up the rest of the stairs. "See you there!"

The older Gran Pulsian woman laughed to herself as she rounded the stairs and walked into the guestroom in the attic. She raised her brow as she spotted Vanille standing in front of the window with her face pressed close to the glass.

"Is that what you had in mind?" Fang asked with a chuckle, feigning disappointment.

"Nope, just checking."

Vanille skipped across the room and wrapped her arms around Fang's neck, nudging her backwards so that she could push the door shut behind her. Then she stood on her tiptoes, tilting her head upwards to bring their lips together gently at first. Her kiss grew deeper until their tongues touched, mouths meshing together to a slow but passionate rhythm.

As Vanille finally pulled away for a breath, she murmured playfully, "_That's_ what I had in mind."

"Yeah? Well, I like the way you think," Fang replied as she wrapped her arms around Vanille's waist and picked her up.

Vanille gasped in surprise and threw her legs around Fang's waist, holding her more tightly around the neck.

Fang leaned forwards, kissing Vanille again and drawing a deep moan from the younger woman as she carried her across the room and set her down on the bed. She climbed on top of her, straddling the shorter woman, and leaned down to kiss her for the third time as their hips ground together.

Vanille slid her hands up Fang's toned abdomen beneath her shirt, immediately pushing her bra out of the way.

Fang broke away from her lips, chuckling playfully. "Well, you're sure in a hurry."

"You want me to stop?" Vanille asked teasingly as her fingers moved slowly over her chest.

"Nope, can't say I do," Fang replied with a grin as she leaned down to kiss her neck, sliding one of her hands between Vanille's thighs.

Vanille breathed in deeply, a slow arch beginning at the base of her spine as Fang's lips worked along her collarbone and her fingers slid up beneath her skirt.

The two lay together for a long time, abandoning their clothes piece-by-piece in a pile on the floor as their bodies moved together as one. They brought each other steadily to familiar heights of pleasure, and as they wound down, they held each other, kissing deeply and moving into a comfortable position.

"You know," Fang murmured as she hugged Vanille close and kissed the top of her head. "I really do love you more than anything."

"I know, Fang." Vanille giggled happily, leaning forwards to peck her lips. "I love you, too. I'm really happy we're gonna get to spend our lives together."

Fang smiled brightly, a peaceful sigh escaping her lips. "Me, too."

Xxx

Lightning pulled into a dark alleyway, checking the map on her GPS to make sure that she was in the right place, and turned off her headlights. She left the engine running in case she needed to make a quick escape, but a rapid visual sweep of the surrounding area proved that she was completely alone.

Now there was nothing to do but wait.

A sleek black car pulled into the alleyway, parking beside her. The headlights flashed twice before turning off.

Lightning cut her engine, climbing out of the car and glancing both ways down the alleyway, her suspicious eyes traveling everywhere from the ground to the rooftops to be certain that no one was watching. When she was sure that she had not been followed, she opened the passenger door of the black car and slid inside.

The driver wore a black hoodie, his face completely concealed by the shadows, and a pair of black leather gloves.

With a scoff, the ex-soldier demanded, "Do you have to dress like that?"

He merely laughed, passing her a manila folder. "All the information you need is in that file."

Lightning did not take his word for it, paging through the papers with a suspicious glare before she finally snapped the folder shut. "Did they buy the bounty hunter story?"

"Hard to tell, but I get a feeling they didn't buy it the first time, let alone the second time." He shook his head. "I shouldn't have followed them to the mall today."

The ex-soldier pursed her lips. "It would've been better if they didn't see you at all."

"Don't I know it, but it's too late now." He shook his head, sighing. "They're both really shaken up after the incident with the window. The Pulsian one was armed, and she looked like she was gonna shoot me in broad daylight, too."

Lightning rolled her eyes. "That can't be helped. I'll be in contact if and when I need more information."

"You want me to keep tailing them?"

"No. Send someone else. They know your face." Lightning gave him a serious look. "Vanille probably can't hurt you, but you _don't_ want Fang to come after you."

"Word on the street is she's stronger than you." He laughed, delighted. "Tell me that's true. I'd like to meet her when this is over."

Lightning rolled her eyes. "I have to get back."

He gave a nod, warning her, "No one else hears a word about this, got it? We have a very strict confidentiality policy to protect you _and_ us."

"I don't need a reminder," Lightning scoffed as she promptly climbed out of the car.

The black car pulled away before she was even fully inside of her air car.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Author's Note: Here is the fourth installment of Crimes of Passion. I hope you like it. :)

Disclaimer: FFXIII belongs to Square Enix. OCs and whatnot belong to me.

Vanille awoke with a gentle sigh and snuggled close to Fang, appreciating the other woman's warmth on the cold winter morning. She breathed in deeply and immediately began to cough, her entire body shaking. Not wanting to wake Fang, the younger woman pulled away and tried to quietly clear her throat. Another breath proved that her mouth was simply too dry, and as she began to cough again, Vanille realized that she needed a drink of water. She slid quickly out of the covers and padded toward the bathroom, pushing the door open and walking groggily inside.

With a frown, Vanille realized that she and Fang had never replaced the cups they generally left by the sink. She bit her lip, wondering if it would be too dangerous to go downstairs, and ultimately decided that she should just return to bed. However, when she was overcome by another fit of coughs, she realized that she had no choice. Vanille walked back into the bedroom and glanced at the clock. It was nine in the morning on a Saturday and it was a bright, sunny day outside. She doubted anyone would break into their home in broad daylight, so she moved quietly toward the door.

On her way out of the room, Vanille heard a noise by the foot of the bed and looked up in surprise. Her features softened into a smile as she noticed that Kiwi and Ripper were curled up together in the large puppy bed. As she moved by, the two of them looked drowsily up at her, so she crouched on the floor beside them and petted their heads.

"You two are so cute all cuddled up like this," Vanille whispered quietly, scratching behind their ears. "You're just like me and Fang."

Ripper barked quietly, his tail beginning to wag.

Vanille covered his mouth with her hand and kissed the top of his head. "Shh! You gotta be quiet, Ripper. We don't wanna wake, Fang."

The puppy whimpered, trying to shake off her hand.

Vanille pulled away and began to pet his back again. "What're you doing in here anyway, Ripper? Did Lightning kick you out?"

Ripper merely stared at her with his big puppy eyes and Kiwi stood up on the puppy bed and began to stretch.

Vanille giggled lightheartedly, hugging both of the puppies before she pulled back and stood up. "I'm gonna go get a drink, but I'll be right back."

The puppies seemed rather suspicious that she was leaving, so Vanille waved cheerfully to them before she opened the bedroom door and shut it gently behind her. She crept quietly down onto the second floor, peeking around corners for moving shadows as her ears strained to hear the slightest sounds. When nothing seemed suspicious, she walked slowly down to the first floor. She peered into the living room, remaining on the stairs for an extra second to make sure that there was no one around. Nothing seemed amiss, and it was clear that no one was awake yet, which was strange because Serah usually woke up with the sun even on the weekends.

After spending a very long time debating just returning to the attic, Vanille's scratchy throat won her over and she crept into the kitchen, glancing suspiciously over her shoulder every few seconds before she stopped in front of the sink. She glanced out the window, her eyes scanning both the deck and the fenced in yard behind the house. There were no footprints in the snow, but she could not shake the feeling that someone was watching her.

With an uncomfortable sigh, Vanille tugged a cup out of the cabinet and filled it with water. She gulped it down quickly, jumping at the slightest sounds, before dropping the cup into the sink.

The floor creaked in the living room and the breath caught in Vanille's throat as she spun around. There was no one standing within sight of the entrance to the kitchen, but the door was wide open. If she left the room, whoever was standing out there could grab her. Vanille waited for a long moment, hoping that the sound had been her imagination, but when there was another creak, Vanille grabbed a rolling pin, the only thing within reach that could be used as a weapon, and snuck toward the entrance to the kitchen. She would only have one chance to figure out who was there, so she stepped on a part of the kitchen floor which she knew would creak. Whoever was standing outside reacted, changing their footing, and the resulting creak led Vanille to realize that they were standing on the right side of the door.

Vanille immediately lifted the rolling pin above her head and dove out of the room. Her entrance into the living room was met with a squeak of surprise followed by relieved laughter.

"Vanille!" Serah shook her head, sighing with relief. "I didn't know you were down here."

Vanille immediately lowered the rolling pin and studied her friend, who was wielding a toilet plunger like a spear. "Serah, what're you doing here? I thought you were still asleep."

"I thought everyone was upstairs," Serah mumbled, taking another deep breath as she lowered her 'weapon.' "Sorry if I scared you. I didn't mean to sneak up on you like that. I just heard someone in the kitchen and I didn't know who it was. I was in the bathroom, so…I grabbed the first thing that I saw."

Vanille laughed lightly and led her friend back into the kitchen, putting down the rolling pin. "What were you gonna do with that? Plunge my face off?"

"It would be a good distraction," Serah protested with a giggle. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. I was just getting a drink of water." Vanille explained. "I guess I slept with my mouth open, 'cause my throat was super dry. Are you the only one awake?"

Serah shook her head. "Claire is awake in her room. I heard her moving around in there when I was coming down the stairs. I don't know if the boys are awake in the basement. They were up pretty late last night playing video games."

Vanille smiled warmly. "Yeah, Sazh kept trying to beat Dajh but he couldn't."

Serah laughed lightly. "Do you want some breakfast?"

"I think I'll go back up to bed for a while. Fang's still sleeping. We'll eat together when she's awake."

"Okay." Serah shrugged. "I think I'll go back upstairs then. I don't like being alone down here. I just have to put this back in the bathroom."

"Do you want me to walk with you?" Vanille asked gently.

"No, I'll be okay." Serah smiled faintly. "See you later, Vanille."

"You, too."

Vanille waved to Serah as she walked out of the kitchen and made her way back up the stairs. She paused on the second floor, glancing around when she heard a strange noise. There was no one in the hallway and there were only so many doors, so a quick investigation revealed that the noise was coming from Lightning's room. When Vanille realized that the ex-soldier must be moving furniture around and pacing, she felt very sympathetic. Everything that they were going through must be especially hard on Lightning, who had moved to the countryside to get away from danger and now found the residence she had worked so hard to renovate under siege. The others would eventually move out, but this was Lightning's home and was always going to be. If they had not found the culprit by the time the others found their own places to live, Lightning would be completely alone and always in danger.

There was a loud thud inside the room and Vanille grew worried, so she knocked on the door. "Lightning, are you okay in there?"

Her words were met by nothing but silence.

"Lightning?" Vanille knocked again. "Is something wrong? We can talk if you want."

When there was still no response, Vanille gave a sigh of defeat. Lightning did not usually even talk to her sister when things were bothering her, so she did not know why she had expected the ex-soldier to want to talk to her.

"Okay, well, I'm gonna go back upstairs, but if something's bothering you, you can always talk to me," Vanille offered through the door before turning away.

The door suddenly swung open, crashing into Vanille from behind with such force that she was knocked onto her knees with a gasp of surprise. She turned onto her side and looked up, eyes wide, just in time to see a large form wearing a blue hoodie, black gloves, and black boots racing out of Lightning's room. He did not stop to look at her as he ran down the stairs.

For a moment, Vanille was too shocked to even move, but then she realized that she was allowing the villain to escape. She immediately screamed loudly, knowing that everyone would run out of their rooms.

Snow was the first to arrive on the scene, bursting out of his bedroom. "What's going on? Are you okay?"

"Snow, the creepy guy was just here! He was in Lightning's bedroom, but he ran downstairs. I think he went out the front door but Serah was in the kitchen," Vanille cried urgently.

Snow did not need any more prompting as he immediately sped down the stairs, meeting both Serah and Sazh at the bottom. While the two men ran outside to chase the attacker, Serah immediately jogged up the stairs to see if Vanille was all right. At the same moment, Fang came flying down the attic stairs, jumping two steps at a time.

When Fang spotted Vanille on the floor, she immediately dropped to her side, wrapping her arm around her shoulders. "What's going on? Are you all right?"

"I saw him, Fang. He was in Lightning's room!" Vanille gasped worriedly. "Snow and Sazh went after him, but you've gotta check on Lightning. What if she was in there and he hurt her?" With wide eyes she added, "There was a commotion in there. What if he killed her?"

"What?" Serah gasped from the top of the stairs. "Y-You think someone k-killed Claire?"

"Nobody killed anybody," Fang assured them, running her fingers through Vanille's hair. "Light would've put up a hell of a fight, Vanille. We would've woken up."

"We should still check on her," Serah nearly shrieked, looking too afraid to walk into her sister's bedroom.

"I'll check," Fang exclaimed before placing a light kiss on Vanille's temple and standing up. She disappeared into Lightning's bedroom, and the two women could hear her pacing around a bit before she finally walked back out. "There's no one in there. I checked the closet and even under the bed. It's empty."

"Then where's Lightning?" Hope asked as he and Dajh came up the stairs behind Serah. "What's going on? Are we not safe in the house anymore?"

"I dunno, kid," Fang replied with a frown before turning to Vanille. "Did you get a look at the bad guy?"

"Not really," Vanille admitted with a sigh. "He was close, but I couldn't see his face. He looked kind of muscular, but he was shorter than I expected and not as big as Snow."

"Was he wearing the same thing as last time? Light saw him in a black hoodie."

Vanille shook her head. "It was a blue hoodie this time."

"Well, at least we know he showers," Fang joked, trying to lighten the mood. "No one likes a dirty home invader."

Although she tried to smile, Vanille was too upset.

"Come here," Fang murmured gently as she tugged Vanille to her feet and wrapped her arms around her. "We're gonna get this guy, I promise."

Snow and Sazh walked back up the stairs looking dejected.

"What happened?" Serah asked quietly. "Did you see him?"

Sazh shook his head. "He was gone by the time we got out there, and it just started snowing pretty hard. The prints will be gone soon."

"What about Claire? Is she outside?" Serah asked nervously.

Snow shook his head. "Actually, I didn't see her car in the driveway."

"If she's not here, someone better call her," Fang pointed out.

"I'll do it," Serah murmured as she tugged her PMC out of her pocket.

"I'll call Agent Young," Snow informed them as he turned and walked into his room.

Sazh leaned back against the wall, crossing his arms. "This is starting to be a pretty dangerous situation. Maybe we should get out of this house for a while."

Vanille furrowed her brows. "Where would we go?"

"I don't know." Sazh shook his head, glancing at Hope. "Your house is pretty big, right?"

"Yeah, and my dad would probably let us all go there."

"That's not a good idea," Fang argued gently. "This bad guy seems determined. He'll just follow us wherever we go, so the only thing we can do right now is find some way to fight back. Light and I will sort this out tonight if I can help it."

"Do you have a plan?" Sazh asked curiously.

"Yeah, I've got one," Fang replied, still running her fingers through Vanille's hair. "We're not gonna let this bastard in our house again."

"Fang, don't swear in front of Dajh," Serah protested.

"It's okay, Serah," Dajh argued. "I'm not a little kid."

"Yes, you are," Hope told him with a roll of his eyes.

Sazh merely smiled at his son before his grave expression returned. "When Agent Young gets here, we all need to talk about what we're gonna do. If this keeps going on, we can't stay here much longer."

Xxx

Half an hour later, Agent Young and Lightning walked into the kitchen to find the rest of the household solemnly picking at breakfast, which was toast and scrambled eggs that Serah had thrown together.

"Do either of you want something to eat?" Serah asked weakly as she looked up at the two of them. "I made eggs, Claire. I don't know if you had a chance to have breakfast while you were…out this morning."

"I ate earlier," Lightning replied, frowning uncomfortably. "Before I left."

"Oh, come on, Light," Fang mumbled with a skeptical look. "You weren't here this morning, were you? You left last night."

Lightning ignored her friend. "The agents are still looking through the upstairs and the attic."

"So, what's the situation?" Sazh asked as he glanced cautiously at his son, not wanting him to hear anything that would make him too afraid.

"So far, it doesn't appear that the perp went anywhere in the house except for Agent Farron's bedroom," Agent Young explained, furrowing her brows. "We've also found some unusual evidence. It seems that the perp may have lain down on Agent Farron's bed and read through one of her magazines before emptying out all of her drawers, rearranging some of the furniture, and looking through some of her weapons."

Lightning pursed her lips as she added, "He didn't take anything. He just moved it all."

"Was there any evidence we can use?" Snow piped up.

Agent Young shook his head. "It looks like this guy is a professional. There is no forensic evidence to trace back to the suspect."

"What can we do to stop this from happening again in the future?" Serah asked with a worried look. "I hate the idea of this person inside of our house."

"We're changing the locks right now," Lightning told her sister firmly. "Then I'm going to start sleeping during the day if I have to so that someone is always awake when everyone else is sleeping."

"Are you gonna be sleeping _here_ during the day?" Fang asked pointedly.

"Obviously," Lightning replied thinly.

"Agent Young, can you come up here for a second? I found something I think you should see," one of the agents on the second floor shouted.

"I'll be right back," Agent Young told them all before turning and jogging up the stairs.

Everyone waited in uncomfortable silence with nothing but the sounds of forks clanking less than delicately against the plates until the agent reappeared.

"There's something else," Agent Young explained with furrowed brows. "They're finished searching the upstairs. There's no evidence that he was anywhere in the house except in Agent Farron's bedroom and the bathroom on the left side of the second floor."

Serah gasped, "That's the bathroom Snow and I use."

"Someone used permanent marker to write 'traitor' on the mirror," Agent Young explained with a deep frown. "We also found two listening devices planted in the house. The first was in Agent Farron's bedroom and the second was in the living room under one of the couch cushions."

"What?" Snow narrowed his eyes.

"It looks like the perp wanted to know what was going on in here," Agent Young offered with a sigh. "This is getting very serious."

"Get those devices out of this house right now," Lightning grumbled angrily.

"You know, this doesn't make much sense," Fang exclaimed suddenly. "Why'd he come in here in broad daylight while we were all in the house? If he wanted to bug the place, he should've done it when we weren't home so we wouldn't find out."

"Maybe he knew that it would scare us even more to catch him in the house," Serah suggested numbly.

Snow took her hand and squeezed it gently.

"Also, why'd he only put the bugs in the living room and Lightning's room?" Fang raised her eyes to look at everyone, frowning. "Do you think he's only after Light?"

"He said he was after all three of us," Lightning argued. "The brick said _3_ NORA agents."

"I know, but really think about it," Fang insisted. "Snow and Serah's bathroom would've been a perfect place to put a listening device. They spend forever getting ready in there, and I can always hear them talking. He could've tried to put on one my bathroom, too. Sound travels up there. With a well-placed bug in the bathroom, you could hear everything Vanille and I say in the bedroom."

"He might've been afraid you would wake up," Sazh suggested.

"He was making a lot of noise in Lightning's bedroom," Vanille argued with a frown. "But maybe he just thought we would think it was her, since he fooled both Serah and me."

"How'd he know Light wasn't in there anyway?" Fang asked. "Light, when did you leave?"

The ex-soldier glared at her.

"I'm only asking for the sake of catching this guy," Fang assured her. "What time did you go? Was it this morning or last night?"

"Last night around midnight," Lightning admitted begrudgingly, ignoring the questioning looks on her sister's and friends' faces.

"That means he was here at midnight," Fang surmised. "We were all sleeping by the time you left, so why'd he wait until nine in the morning when most of us are usually awake to sneak in?"

The phone suddenly began to ring, causing everyone but the ex-soldier to jump. As Lightning moved to answer, Agent Young suggested, "Put it on speaker just in case."

Lightning nodded, picking up the phone and pressing the speaker button. "Hello?"

A robotic voice suddenly chimed over and over, "Lightning Farron. Lightning Farron. Lightning Farron. Lightning Farron…"

"Who is this?" Lightning demanded irritably.

"Lightning Farron. Lightning Farron. Lightning Farron—"

The ex-soldier slammed the phone on the receiver.

"Well, that settles it," Fang muttered. "They're after you, and they're watching us still."

"Maybe you should go into protective custody," Agent Young told Lightning as he crossed the room to peek out the window. "I know you don't want to but—"

"I'm _not_ going into hiding," Lightning told him coldly. "Whoever this asshole is, I'm going to take him down and make him wish he had never decided to mess with me."

The phone began to ring again, but Lightning ignored it as she pulled her PMC out of her pocket. "I have to go make a call."

Without another word, the ex-soldier stormed out of the room, a look of annoyance etched into her features.

"Who is she calling?" Agent Young asked, confused.

Everyone looked at each other, shaking their heads.

"So, Fang, you think whoever is doing this is only after Claire?" Serah asked quietly.

"Well, I dunno about _only_ after her, but maybe primarily," Fang replied with a frown.

"Then why did they write traitor on Snow and Serah's mirror?" Sazh asked, adding, "And what about the dollhouse that you found?"

"We're all involved somehow, but Light seems to be the focus," Fang explained.

"We need a lead very badly," Agent Young sighed as he took a seat at the end of the table. "I want to help the three of you, but this guy is good. We don't have anything so far except a blood sample and nothing to compare it to."

"We'll find something," Fang informed him. "Just you wait."

Xxx

Lightning returned to the kitchen a while later and found that no one had moved from their spots. With an irritated frown, she took a plate of cold eggs and toast and sat down, beginning to pick at her meal.

"Do you have any enemies, Light?" Fang cut through the silence cautiously, not wanting to anger her friend because she knew that she was upset.

"None that I can think of," Lightning grumbled irritably, "but clearly, yes."

"Try harder to think of someone," Fang insisted. "This is important."

"Do you think I don't know that?" Lightning asked heatedly before taking a deep breath and calming. "We need a plan."

"No, we need a suspect. How many people do you even know who could hold a grudge against you? You haven't been living here that long," Fang pointed out.

"The only people I can think of would've known me before Cocoon fell," Lightning explained, "but most of them are dead and I haven't heard from the rest since we became l'Cie."

"Well, maybe one of them found you."

"It's possible, but I haven't seen a single person in this town who knows me from before Cocoon fell," Lightning insisted without looking up from her plate.

"We don't have enough evidence." Snow looked at Agent Young. "Did you have any leads on who might have set the fire at the abandoned house?"

Agent Young shook his head. "It looks like they used a match without any fuel, letting the place burn naturally, but otherwise we have no idea. There wasn't a lot of evidence on the scene."

"Well, I'm not gonna put up with this anymore," Fang said, promptly standing from the table.

"What do you mean, Fang?" Vanille asked worriedly.

"If we can't catch this guy 'cause we've got nothing to go on, then we're gonna have to get more creative," Fang replied as she motioned for Lightning to follow her. "Come on, Light. You're not eating that anyway. We're going shopping."

"You can't go out now," Serah protested, looking to Snow for support.

"At least tell us your plan," Snow requested.

"Not now. We don't have time," Fang grumbled as she turned to Agent Young. "You keep your agents posted outside until I say otherwise. We've gotta keep everyone in this house safe."

Xxx

Vanille sat in the living room tapping her foot against the ground nervously. It had been two hours since Lightning and Fang had left the house, and even though she knew that the woman she loved could take care of herself very well, she could not help but worry. Whenever Fang set her mind to something, she was bound to stubbornly pursue it, but that did not meant that she would not be in danger. Things were not as they had been in the past. They were all weaker now that they were not l'Cie and Fang did not have an army of hunters backing her as she always had in Oerba. If the criminal caught her off guard in a dark alleyway in the city, there was no knowing what might happen.

"Vanille, let's look at some wedding cakes," Serah suggested suddenly as she sat down beside her and spread a magazine across her lap. "I really need to get to work on planning the wedding again if we don't want to have to postpone it."

The Gran Pulsian woman turned to face her with a frown, wondering how she could think of her wedding at a time like that, but when she saw the stressed look on Serah's face, she knew that her friend just wanted to distract herself.

"Yeah, let's look," Vanille replied, forcing a cheerful smile. "I bet we'll find something really yummy."

"I hope so." Serah smiled weakly.

Vanille scooted closer and looked down at the magazine as Serah poked through the pages. On any normal day, such delicious images would make both of their mouths water, but nothing seemed appetizing at that particular moment.

"What about something like this?" Serah pointed to a simple two-tier cake with little bride and groom figurines on top.

Vanille studied the cake carefully, furrowing her brows. "How come they've all got people on top? Are you supposed to eat them?"

"No. They're made of plastic," Serah replied with a giggle. "I don't know why they put them on top of the cake, but I think it's a symbol of happiness. It's supposed to represent the couple."

"That's kind of weird, putting the couple on top of something you're gonna eat," Vanille murmured with a faint smile. "What flavor are you gonna get? I think you should have chocolate."

Serah nodded enthusiastically. "I love chocolate. I think I'm going to do a cake that's half-chocolate and half-vanilla in case some of the guests don't like one or the other. Then everyone can choose to eat whichever they want."

"That's a great idea," Vanille encouraged. "What color frosting do you want? I'm gonna make them decorate my cake with flowers made of frosting."

"Your cake?" Serah's eyes widened. "Vanille, are you and Fang planning something?"

Vanille shook her head, but her smile was telling. "We haven't got anything planned out yet, but we know someday we're gonna get married, since we're gonna be together forever anyway. I think we probably would've gotten married a long time ago, but they wouldn't let us in our village."

"Really?" Serah frowned sympathetically. "Your people didn't accept you two?"

"Actually, everyone in the village really liked us and wanted us to be together," Vanille explained with a small smile. "It's just that the priests did everything really traditionally, and I guess traditionally it was only men and women who got married, so they wouldn't let us. It didn't really matter, but it would've been nice to be allowed."

Serah nodded, smiling warmly. "Well, at least everyone was mostly accepting of you two. I know in Cocoon history there were times when people weren't allowed to be with someone of the same sex."

"Well, I'm glad it's not like that now," Vanille exclaimed with a small smile. "Especially since here two girls are allowed to get married. I'm really excited about it."

Serah nodded happily.

A key suddenly turned on the lock on the front door, silencing everyone in the room. When the door opened, Fang and Lightning walked in, each carrying one shopping bag. Agent Young, who had been waiting outside with the other agents, also followed them through the door.

"Are your people still out there or were you the only one watching the house?" Fang asked as she kicked off her boots and set down her bag to remove her coat.

"There are three other cars," Agent Young explained dutifully as he closed the door behind them and took off his own boots. "I've got one set of agents watching the front of the house, one set watching the street on the western side of the property, and one set watching the street on the eastern side of the property. There is no way that anyone is here."

"Unless they came through the woods," Fang pointed out. "But good. Keep the agents posted there until I say so. Light and I aren't putting our plan into action until after dark."

Agent Young nodded.

Fang walked across the room and sat on the couch beside Vanille, wrapping her arm around the younger woman and pressing a gentle kiss on her lips. "Miss me?"

"I was worried about you," Vanille informed her with a stern look. "What took you so long?"

"I told everyone before we left. We had some shopping to do," Fang explained as she used one hand to hand Vanille her shopping bag and open the top to show her the contents.

Serah leaned across Vanille's other side to look and Snow and the others crowded around.

"A white hoodie?" Snow asked with a raised brow.

Fang nodded. "When you've got a smart enemy who covers all their bases, you've gotta keep them good and interested so they'll walk right into your trap."

"So, what are you going to do?" Serah asked with a frown.

Lightning removed a black hoodie from her own bag, narrowing her eyes seriously. "We know the perp will be watching the house, so we're going to send the NORA cars away and wait. After a while, I'm going outside in the black hoodie. The perp will see me and know that I'm trying to confuse him by dressing like him, so he'll come out to taunt me. Then I'll chase him into the woods like I did last time."

"What if he shoots at you again?" Hope asked nervously.

"He was more concerned about getting away from her than injuring her that time. I don't think he'll risk getting caught by sticking around to take another shot," Fang replied reassuringly. "Once Light chases him into the woods, that's where I'll come in. The only time he ever made a mistake was when he was trying to get through the trees. He's not at home there like I am."

"You're going to be waiting for him in your hoodie?" Sazh asked curiously.

"That's the plan." Fang nodded.

"Why d'you have a white one?" Vanille asked as she tugged the article of clothing out of the bag and studied it.

"'Cause the forest is covered in snow," Fang explained as she hugged Vanille close. "I always try to blend in when I go hunting."

Vanille cracked a nervous smile. "I hope this works, Fang. It sounds dangerous."

"It will work," Lightning assured her stiffly. "We're going to catch him."

"What do we do while we're waiting?" Serah asked gently. "Do we just act like everything's normal?"

"Yes." Lightning nodded, instructing, "Everyone find something to do. Don't talk about the plan or look out the windows. If he sees this coming, it will never work."

Everyone nodded in agreement, and Serah added meekly, "Let's all try our best. We can't go on living like this."

"You're right, Serah. We need more time to keep planning your wedding," Vanille told her friend reassuringly, patting her arm. "We're way behind now."

Serah laughed lightly as she noticed that Snow was trying to discretely shake his head so that Vanille would not encourage his fiancée to start planning like a madwoman again. With a faint smile, Serah stood and took Snow by the hand, leading him toward the kitchen.

"Let's just spend some time together, Snow. We don't have to plan anything right now. I just want to be with you."

Lightning watched them leaving before she walked toward the stairs. "I'll be in my room."

"Be ready by nightfall," Fang reminded her.

The ex-soldier gave a nod before disappearing up the stairs. Meanwhile, the others dispersed, Sazh and Dajh returning to the basement while Hope walked upstairs to play with the puppies.

Fang smiled down at Vanille. "So, we've got some time. Anything you wanna do?"

Vanille hugged Fang around the waist, pressing her cheek against her shoulder and sighing happily. "Let's just say like this for a while."

"Sounds good to me," Fang murmured lovingly as she kissed the top of Vanille's head and hugged her closer.

Agent Young coughed awkwardly. "I'll…go back outside with the other agents."

Xxx

"It's time," Fang suddenly exclaimed as she walked down the stairs into the living room.

Serah poked her head out of the kitchen. "You're going right now?"

Fang nodded, moving out of the way as Lightning appeared behind her, dressed in a completely black outfit with her hoodie pulled over her head.

Vanille stood from the couch and walked over to Fang, who was wearing a white hoodie on top and a pair of jeans on the bottom. There was a pair of white sweat pants slung over her shoulder.

"Be careful, Fang," Vanille murmured, hugging her. "Both of you be careful."

"We will," Fang told her gently, giving her a quick kiss before pulling away. "I dunno how long we'll be out there. It could take the perp a while to get out of his car if he's even here yet."

Lightning sat on the stairs out of the view of the window, not wanting anyone outside to see her until it was time. "Did Agent Young call away all the other agents?"

"Yep. He just made the call ten minutes ago," Fang replied as she crossed the room and covered her white hoodie with a black winter jacket. She tossed the white sweat pants into a bag that she slung over her shoulder before pocketing her keys. "I'm going. Light, wait at least ten minutes."

Fang walked outside into the frigid night air, closing the front door behind her, and hummed to herself as she walked down the driveway. She unlocked the door to her air car, glancing around suspiciously and pretending not to notice the sleek black air car that was hidden behind a few large trees down the road. While she could have attempted to confront the attacker at that moment, it was too likely that he would hit the gas and speed away, so she immediately slid into the front seat of her car and shut the door behind her.

After checking the rearview mirror to make sure that there was no one behind her car, Fang pulled out of the driveway and drove down the street. She checked several times to make sure that no one was following her before she turned onto the side street on the western border of the property. Fang parked the air car behind a snow drift and turned off the lights, leaving the engine running for a few moments just in case someone drove by. When she was satisfied, she immediately dropped her black coat into the back seat, pulled the white hood over her head, and changed into the pair of white sweat pants.

Once her costume was complete, Fang climbed out of the car and made quick work of covering the vehicle with large evergreen branches that had fallen from the trees and large piles of snow. When she felt certain that no one would be able to see the vehicle from the road, Fang grabbed another evergreen branch and used the pines to brush away her tracks as she quickly disappeared into the forest.

There were few things in life that exhilarated Fang more than hunting, but the safety of everyone that she cared about had never been so dependent on her success. It was going to be a very stressful evening, but she would have to find some way to relax so that her instincts did not fail her. If the culprit was armed, it could become a very dangerous hunt.

Xxx

"It's been long enough. I'm going outside now," Lightning informed everyone as she tugged the black hood of her sweatshirt over her head and moved toward the door.

"Be careful," Snow cautioned. "Keep your PMC close and call me if you need anything. I can be outside in seconds."

"No. I want you to stay here and help Sazh protect the others," Lightning grumbled, glancing at all of her friends with a frown.

"Don't worry about us," Hope protested, crossing his arms. "We're not little kids. We all fought together as l'Cie."

"We're not l'Cie anymore," Lightning reminded him with a serious frown.

"The boy's got a point though," Sazh told Lighting as he patted Hope's shoulder. "We're all in this together no matter what happens. If Snow has to leave to save you and Fang before Agent Young's backup gets here, we'll take care of ourselves."

Vanille nodded in agreement. "And if Fang's in danger, I wanna know about it. I know I look weak, but I did tons of heroic stuff in Oerba. I could come outside and help."

Lightning sighed. "Fine, but I don't think we'll need any help. It's better for all of you to stay here. Agent Young and his men are parked on the next street over. Call him if you need something."

The ex-soldier did not give them a chance to argue as she turned away and walked solemnly toward the door. She paused, checking to make sure that her hood was secured over her head, and wondered absently if the culprit would be able to identify her by her silhouette as she opened the front door and crept outside.

Once she was standing on the porch, Lightning crouched low and glanced inside. As instructed, the others were waiting in the living room pretending to play video games and laugh and joke. Not a single one of them was looking outside the window.

The ex-soldier turned away and climbed over the porch, pretending to be stealthy as she jumped the railing and landed in the snow. Lightning waited for a moment, remaining low and glancing over her shoulder several times as though she feared being noticed. Then she burst forwards, racing into a nearby patch of bushes and crouching low enough that no one would be able to see her. While the evergreen bushes were thick, anyone watching from the driveway would know that she was there.

A car door slammed shut in the distance.

Lightning's ears pricked as she listened to the footsteps crouching through the snow. Her narrowed eyes scanned the yard until she spotted a black-clad figure standing at the end of the driveway. He turned his head toward her, and even though he was wearing a mask beneath his black hood, she could tell that he was grinning ear-to-ear.

The masked man crept toward the house, remaining low as he approached the porch. He stopped at the front door and peeked inside the front window, the curtains having been left only partially open so that someone outside could tell that the unsuspecting victims inside could not possibly be a part of a plan to capture the black-clad man.

After a while, the masked man turned to face Lightning again. He hunched over and snuck past the window, mimicking and exaggerating her gestures as he tiptoed to the edge of the porch and jumped the railing. When he landed in the snow below, he hugged the walls for a moment, glancing frantically around as though he thought he would be caught. Then he pretended to hear something and fell flat on his face before rolling onto his back and laughing hysterically.

Lightning rolled her eyes.

The culprit suddenly stood up and brushed the snow from his clothes before he took a step toward where she was hidden and waited patiently.

Lightning stared at him for another moment before pulling out her PMC, which she had already set up to use as a walkie-talkie. She pressed the button and exclaimed, "Are you ready?"

The response was muffled and difficult to understand.

"Fang is on the western side of the forest," Lightning warned. "Go to the eastern side and wait."

After releasing the button, Lightning tucked the PMC into her pocket and stood up, brushing the pine needles from her black hoodie. She stared for several long moments at the man, who waited carefully for her to make the first move. One second later Lightning burst out of the foliage, pouncing like a wild cat.

The masked man laughed heartily before turning and racing into the forest.

Lightning followed quickly, pushing herself to run more quickly than usual. As she raced forwards, she glanced over her shoulder, her eyes scanning the tree tops for Fang. Although she knew vaguely where the other woman was going to be hidden, it was difficult to know exactly how close to the house she had set up her vantage point.

The masked man darted skillfully through the trees, ducking under branches and jumping over giant piles of snow that might otherwise cause him to twist an ankle.

Though she was unused to forest travel, Lightning fared quite well. Every twist in the dark forest threatened to trip her, but even the slippery snow beneath her feet could not stop her rapid advance. There was no sign of Fang so far, but either way it would not matter. It was going to be over soon.

Xxx

Fang closed her eyes and listened carefully to the silence all around her. She took in a deep breath, extending her senses as much as humanly possible. When she opened her eyes again, her powerful gaze cut through the darkness. After years of intense training, Fang had developed the ability to see almost clearly at night.

A twig snapped in the distance.

Fang turned her head silently to the side, bracing her gloved hands against the thick, snow-covered branch on which she was perched. When she saw nothing, she turned her head in the other direction, listening for more sounds. Another crack told her exactly where the culprit was, but she did not reveal herself just yet. Their enemy was smart enough that he might know that she was waiting for him, so she would lead him into a trap, allowing him to think that he could escape her before moving in for the figurative kill.

It was only seconds later that the culprit broke through the trees like a startled deer. He ran with large, bounding strides, expelling rather violent breaths that proved him to be in much worse shape than she would have imagined. As he darted through the trees below, it was clear that he could not see very well in front of him and he was unused to forest travel. He nearly slammed right into a tree trunk and stumbled several times.

Fang gave the perpetrator a few seconds' head start before she dropped from the tree, landing silently on a snow pile and darting after him. She could anticipate his movements if she watched his feet and the way that he turned his head.

The culprit glanced over his shoulder once and gasped in surprise when he saw the white-clad figure pursuing him. He tried to push himself harder, but that unfortunately caused his feet to drag in the snow, which ultimately made him run more slowly.

Fang watched his skittish movements with a calculated gaze and adjusted her angle, disappearing through the trees as she sped up. A second later, she burst out of the shadows at his side. He screamed in fear, turning too quickly in the snow and falling flat on his face. He scrambled backwards, throwing himself onto his feet and changing directions, but he could not escape quickly enough. Fang knew that she should end his misery, but she thought that his fearful behavior might be a ruse, so she decided to stick with the plan and get him good and trapped before she let down her guard.

The second time that Fang appeared at the man's side, she came from another direction, matching his pace and swiping at him with her staff. He switched directions, unintentionally turning the way that she had wanted him to go, and she raced around to come up on his other side, herding him deeper into the forest.

After a while, he began to slow down, his breath so heavy that he might collapse from too much exertion. He did not stop running, pushing himself harder and harder. It was around that time that he made the fatal error. When Fang came up on his left side for the third time during their charade, he swerved to the right and tripped a wire that she had strung between the trunks of two very tall trees. A net of thick wire fell on top of him and he fell to the ground, struggling but unable to break free.

Fang came up behind him and pressed the sharp end of her spear against his throat. "Don't move a muscle if you wanna live."

"Please, don't kill me!" He begged, covering his head with his hands. "I'm too young to die."

"Too young to die?" Fang jabbed him with the point of her weapon and ignored his yelp of pain. "Then I guess you better lie down on your stomach and put your hands behind your back, 'cause I won't hesitate to kill you if I think you're a danger to my family."

"I-I'll do anything you say. Just don't kill me!" The man immediately turned onto his stomach and put his hands behind his back, holding them together so that she could put the handcuffs on his wrists as easily as possible.

Fang kept her weapon pointed at his back as she crouched down and tugged the net off of him. Then she used one hand to bind him with the strong, Cocoon-style cuffs that were carried by all NORA agents.

"Get up!" Fang ordered when she was finished, jabbing him in the back.

He yelped again, though she had not broken the skin, and climbed quickly to his feet.

"Walk quickly toward the house," Fang commanded fiercely.

With a nod, the black-clad figured moved forwards, fearful that the sharp point pressed against his back would break the skin if he did not begin walking immediately.

xxx

Once they reached the house, Fang clamped one hand tightly on his shoulder as she used the other to unlock the front door. She kicked open the door with her foot before shoving the captured man inside of the house. Ignoring the wide-eyed looks of her friends, Fang did not even bother taking off her books as she shoved the man across the room and pushed him onto the couch.

"You got him, Fang!" Vanille cried cheerfully.

Fang did not look away from the culprit, sneering. "We finally got you. There's no chance of escape now."

"It's not what you think!" The black-clad man gasped desperately.

"Yeah, I bet it isn't." Fang glanced around the room and frowned. "Where's Light?"

"She didn't come back yet," Serah exclaimed with a worried frown. "Wasn't she with you?"

"I didn't see her," Fang grumbled as she stomped across the room and opened the front door, looking outside to see if her friend was approaching the house.

Vanille followed behind her, peeking around her out the door before she turned around and took another look at the hooded man. Her eyes widened with surprise as she whispered, "Fang, that's not the man who was in the house this morning."

Fang shut the door and motioned for Vanille to follow her a few steps away, asking quietly, "What d'you mean?"

"It's not him," Vanille insisted. "I didn't notice at first, but it doesn't look like him."

"Vanille, he's wearing a hoodie," Fang murmured. "You said you didn't get a good look at him. We don't know what he looks like yet."

"I didn't see him well, but I can tell that's not him. He's too wide and burly. I remember because I was surprised that the guy I saw this morning didn't look as strong or big as Snow," Vanille explained quietly.

The front door suddenly burst open and Lightning stomped inside of the house, grumbling angrily, "The bastard got away! He didn't run toward where Fang was hidden at all. I chased him all the way out of the woods and down the street, but there was a car waiting for him."

Fang frowned as she studied the ex-soldier. "Then who the hell did I get?"

"What?" Lightning noticed the black-clad man on the couch and her eyes widened.

A knock distracted everyone, and Fang pulled the door open to reveal Agent Young's curious face. "Did you catch him? I saw Lightning coming toward the house empty-handed."

"We caught someone all right, but it looks like there were two of them," Fang replied with a frown.

Lightning glared at the captor as she moved around the room and tore the hood off of his face. It was P.J., the man who they had caught squatting at all of the abandoned houses.

"You." The ex-soldier narrowed her eyes, taking a menacing step forwards. "Are you working as a group? Are there more than two of you?"

Agent Young stepped forwards. "I think we should take him to headquarters before we do any more questioning."

"Well, I think you should stay quiet," Lightning told him firmly before turning back to P.J. "You better start talking."

He nodded, eager to defend himself. "I'm not the one you're looking for. I was never involved at all. From the start, it was all an act. Someone hired me to make disturbances at the two abandoned houses, and the same guy called me tonight and said he'd pay enough to match a month of my regular salary if I dressed up in black and ran into the woods behind your house. He told me to come from the road to the west."

Fang studied him carefully, walking around the room so that she could look into his eyes. "How do we know you're telling the truth? Do you have some kind of proof?"

P.J. shook his head, exclaiming desperately, "The only proof I have is the money he paid me. It's cash. You could try to get his fingerprints."

"That's worth a shot." Fang took a step closer to him. "I'm more interested in knowing why you took this job. You get your kicks out of hurting people?"

"I didn't know anyone was going to get hurt," P.J. insisted. "It was all an act. I just had to keep you two busy. I honestly though he was trying to distract you from the robberies that were happening every time you two came after me."

Lightning shook her head. "I don't believe you. I think you're involved, and I want to know everything you know or you're never going to leave this house again."

"Y-You can't do that. I have rights," he protested.

"With all due respect, neither of you should be interrogating him," Agent Young interrupted. "You're both too close to this case. Even Captain Villiers…as victims, you should let me take him back to headquarters."

"We were put in charge of this case. Unless the captain says otherwise, we've got every right to interrogate the suspect," Fang told the agent firmly before turning back to P.J. "Assuming you're not lying, how did this man contact you?"

"He called me on my phone," P.J. exclaimed with a frown. "He knew everything about my life, including my address, where I work, and how much money I make, but I didn't recognize his voice."

"Do you have his number?" Lightning demanded.

"It was a blocked number."

"Well, that's convenient," Fang sighed, shaking her head. "Agent Young, take him to headquarters and interrogate him properly." She narrowed her eyes and took a step closer to the black-clad man. "By the way, if you use your phone to call your buddy and tell him you tricked us, tell him I said hi."

"I'm not trying to trick you," P.J. insisted. "I just wanted to make some money. I didn't know this was going to happen."

Fang rolled her eyes and glanced at Lightning. "Do you have any more questions?"

Lightning shook her head, glancing at Agent Young. "Get him out of my house."

The agent nodded. "We'll figure out whether he's lying or not and I'll call you first thing in the morning when I have more information."

"Thanks, Agent Young." Snow walked him to the door. "You've been a really big help to us."

"No problem." The agent shrugged. "I'd never let a bad guy get away with attacking one of our own."

Snow smiled and patted him on the shoulder.

Agent Young gave one last wave and walked out the door, and the second that he was gone, everyone seemed to sag.

"I thought we had him," Fang muttered, sighing loudly.

Vanille crossed the room to hug her arm. "It's okay, Fang. At least we know now that he hires people to help him."

Fang nodded, wrapping her arms around her. "Let's go to bed. It's been a long night."

Xxx

Vanille leaned back against her pillow and frowned worriedly as she watched Fang pacing at the foot of the bed. Kiwi was attentively chasing Fang back and forth, looking rather confused about why she would not simply stop walking.

"Fang, come lie down," Vanille requested gently. "We're both exhausted."

"I know, but I can't stop thinking about this," Fang grumbled as she began to pace more diligently. "None of it fits."

"What doesn't fit?" Vanille asked quietly.

"None of it," Fang repeated firmly. "First of all, how'd he know we were gonna set that trap? We got rid of all of the bugs and there were three NORA cars outside of the house. There's no way he could've been listening to the conversation unless he was in the house, there was a bug that we missed somewhere, or he's got someone on the inside."

"Fang, there was no one in the house when you told us the plan except Agent Young," Vanille murmured gently. "He's trying to help us."

"I know." Fang sighed, shaking her head. "But something doesn't fit. He shouldn't have known we were gonna do that."

Vanille sighed wearily and slouched against her pillow. "Let's talk about this tomorrow."

"The next thing that doesn't make sense is why he came here tonight." Fang stopped pacing and looked at Vanille. "Why'd he do that? He obviously knew we were gonna set a trap, so why'd he risk getting caught if he was gonna send P.J. in anyways? He could've gotten away with it, or he could've made us think that we got him and then used that against us later, but instead he chose to taunt Light."

"He might not have picked her. Maybe it was just because she was the one wearing black," Vanille murmured gently.

"No," Fang shook her head. "This is about Light. I can feel it. The phone call, the taunting… He was on her bed, Vanille. Who knows for how long?"

Vanille bit her lip, frowning nervously. "So, is he a stalker?"

"It seems like it, but why would he be after me and Snow, too?" Fang shook her head, frowning. "And why hire P.J. to distract us with the abandoned houses? It'd make perfect sense if he was trying to set P.J. up for the crime, but since we know there was another guy in the woods tonight, there was no point in any of this. It's like he wanted to throw us off course, but he just couldn't resist coming here to gloat."

"Maybe he's trying to prove something, like he's better than you guys or smarter," Vanille offered with a sigh. "I don't think we'll be able to figure it out before morning, Fang."

"I don't think I'll be able to sleep until I figure it out," Fang countered, shaking her head. "Something's still not right about all this. I can feel it. I just can't figure out what it is."

"Don't forget someone had to be driving his air car, too," Vanille offered. "That means if the guy you caught tonight wasn't involved, there are still two bad guys."

"Maybe," Fang offered, "or maybe he just hired someone else the same way P.J. claims he was hired."

"You'll figure it out, Fang," Vanille assured her gently. "You'll all figure it out together, but you're not gonna get anything done if you're tired, so please come here."

Fang nodded and stooped down to pet Kiwi and nudge him into his doggy bed before she finally climbed into bed with Vanille. She pulled the covers up over herself before sliding closer to the woman she loved and wrapping her arms around her.

"Vanille, when Hope goes back home this weekend, I think you should go with him. Sazh is already talking about sending Dajh," Fang exclaimed. "I think Sazh should go too, but he wants to help us get this guy."

"What about Serah?" Vanille asked with a frown.

"She has to go back to work on Monday," Fang murmured, frowning. "You'd be a lot safer far away."

"You don't know that. What if he follows me?" Vanille replied with a frown. "Besides, I'm not going anywhere, Fang, not when I know you're still in danger."

Fang knew that she could not argue, so she merely held her more tightly.

"Everything's gonna be okay," Vanille whispered, forcing herself to believe it because otherwise it would be too frightening. "We'll stay and fight like we always do."

"Oh, so running away's not the best option anymore?" Fang teased, a grin finding its way onto her exhausted features.

"That's always the best option," Vanille corrected. "You just have to make sure you _can_ run away first. If you can't, then you've gotta stay and fight."

Fang laughed lightly. "Well, I'm glad you cleared that up. Next time I'll check if we can run away first."

"Good." Vanille smiled and placed her hands on either side of Fang's face, leaning forwards and pressing a long kiss on her lips. As she pulled away, she murmured gently, "I love you, Fang."

"I love you, too," Fang replied as she pulled the younger woman into her arms. As she nuzzled closer, Fang added, "And I'm gonna protect you no matter what it takes. This morning could've ended really differently, and I'd never forgive myself for that."

Vanille cuddled against her, kissing her cheek. "You would've gotten to me in time, Fang. I could've held him off until then."

"In a bathrobe with no weapons?" Fang teased gently, though in truth the seriousness of her suggestion was not lost on her.

"Yep." Vanille grinned. "Even in a bathrobe with no weapons."

Fang smiled and gave her another kiss. "Goodnight. If you need water in the morning, wake me up and we'll go downstairs together."

Vanille nodded. "Goodnight."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Author's Note: Here is the fifth installment of Crimes of Passion. As a warning, this chapter gets intense. I hope you enjoy it! :)

Disclaimer: FFXIII belongs to Square Enix. Plot, OCs, and everything else belong to me.

Lightning crept down the stairs in the bright glow of the rising sun and searched each of the rooms on the ground floor of her house. When she found no intruders and was certain that none of her many house guests were awake, she shoved a set of keys into her pocket and snuck out the front door. The ex-soldier stood on the front porch for several moments, her boots sinking into an untouched layer of snow on the stoop as her suspicious eyes scanned the surrounding area. There were no unusual impressions in the snow outside of her house, no footprints to speak of and no fallen pine needs or broken branches in the yard. The entire world seemed quiet and undisturbed.

After standing on the porch for one more moment, Lightning checked to make sure that the front door and all of the windows on the ground floor were tightly locked, circling the house quietly and searching for any other signs of disturbance. When she finally accepted that the house was secure, the ex-soldier walked to the driveway and slipped into her air car. She checked the back seat for any unwanted passengers and locked all the doors before turning on the ignition and backing slowly out of the driveway.

During the silent trip that followed, Lightning scanned her surroundings, memorizing every house, tree, and shadow. There was no one following her, though several times she was suspicious of cars passing by in the early morning light. Years as a soldier had taught her to trust her instincts, so even though there was no one directly behind her, Lightning remained completely aware of her surroundings. Anyone could be watching, and there were many people who were trained to tail others from very far away. Skilled trackers came from all different backgrounds, and the last person that the ex-soldier wanted following her at that particular moment happened to be a very skilled hunter who always captured her prey.

After driving around the block several times, the ex-soldier was satisfied that no one was following her. She finally headed toward her destination, taking the only plowed road in town into the city of Korrin. Taking several sharp turns, Lightning found herself parked in an alleyway that she had not seen previously. In the light of the rising sun, there were no shadows to conceal the meeting that would take place that morning, but there was also no one awake to see them.

The moments passed slowly, but eventually a sleek black car pulled into the alley beside her and parked. The tinted windows concealed the driver, but Lightning knew the plates and the make of the car. She would not be easily fooled by an imposter.

Though Lightning wanted to get the meeting over with as quickly as possible, she waited in her car for several extra minutes to make sure that no one had followed her visitor. Eventually satisfied, she cut her engine and climbed out into the wintery world. Small snowflakes fell from the sky, blowing into her face as she ducked her head down, and her breath froze into shimmering crystals in the air. The world was completely silent.

Lightning pressed the button to lock her car before pulling open the door of black car and sliding inside.

The driver turned to face her, looking her up and down. "Anyone follow you?"

"I wouldn't be here if they did," Lightning replied firmly, glancing at the 'bounty hunter'. "I'm glad you lost the black hoodie, Orion."

He chuckled, shaking his head. "That bastard stole my look. _I_ was the first black hoodie. You remember that."

Lightning merely rolled her eyes. "Report."

"I waited on the eastern side of the forest just like you told me. It's a good thing, too. Your perpetrator was ready for every possible scenario," Orion replied, pursing his lips. "I got the license plate, a picture of the getaway car, and the make and model."

"You were supposed to follow him if Fang didn't catch him," Lightning grumbled.

"I tried, but they knew I was behind them," Orion replied with a shrug as he passed her another manila folder.

"They?" Lightning narrowed her eyes.

He gave a firm nod. "The perp jumped into the front passenger side of the car. It was moving before he even had his door closed all the way. I don't know if the driver was an accomplice or just a hired hand, but he lost me quickly. He obviously has experience shaking off a tail."

"Do you have anything else?" Lightning demanded as she paged through the folder, glancing at the photograph of the perpetrator's car, which was similar to Orion's but a different model.

Orion shook his head. "You're lucky I even got that much. I was smart enough to bring a partner with me. She was the one holding the camera."

Lightning frowned irritably. "What partner? I don't want anyone else involved."

"Look, you hire me and I do the job however I feel is best," Orion replied with a shrug. "Do you have any idea who's terrorizing you and your friends?"

Lightning shook her head. "We don't have any leads, but I'll run the plates."

"I hope that helps." He gave her a measured look. "Lightning, have you considered my offer yet? We could use someone like you. You're not cut out for this NORA bullshit. They treat everything with kid gloves, and you're a little overqualified to be taking orders from an ex-vigilante."

"I've considered it, but I don't have an answer," Lightning replied, changing the subject sharply. "What have you found out about the other assignment?"

"I trailed the guy for a while. He made it easy enough." Orion shrugged indifferently. "He didn't seem like he knew I was there, and he looked like a pretty normal, standup guy to me, but I'd guess he's keeping some secrets."

"Everyone has secrets," Lightning replied with narrowed eyes. "I want to know his."

"You'll know them just as soon as I do, Light." Orion's communicator beeped and he lifted the screen to read a text message. A frown covered his face as he turned to look at her. "I've got to go. Do you want me to focus on the other guy or the perp threatening everyone living in that zoo of yours? I don't have the time or the resources to do both assignments."

"Dig up everything you can about the bastard that threw the brick through my window. It's more important right now," Lightning ordered firmly, not waiting for a response as she pushed the door open and climbed out of the car.

"With the danger, it'll cost you extra," Orion warned loudly.

"Just do it!" Lightning replied before slamming the door shut and returning to her own car.

Xxx

Only half an hour after the sun had risen, Lightning was already returning to her home. She pulled her air car silently into the driveway and set it down in her usual space. The ex-soldier sat in the car for a few minutes, glancing out the windows and each of the mirrors in search of anything suspicious. Nothing seemed amiss, but on her way into the driveway she had noticed that the mailbox was open. Lightning was always completely aware of her surroundings, and she did not miss minor details, so she was 100% certain that she had closed the box the previous night after she had gone outside to collect the mail.

No longer willing to take anything for granted, Lightning climbed out of her car, locked the vehicle, and walked briskly down the driveway. She shoved her hands into her pockets as she peeked inside of the open box. Someone had placed a neatly sealed white envelope into the mailbox sometime between when Lightning had left the house and her return moments ago, which meant that it was possible that someone had seen her leaving. If she had not even noticed that someone was watching her, then she was certainly slipping after months of inactivity.

Lightning glanced over her shoulder, searching suspiciously for hidden air cars or prying eyes. When she did not find anything unusual, she tugged the letter out of the mailbox and turned it over in her hands. It was addressed to '3 Nora Agents Under One Roof'. Lightning tore the envelope seal and extracted the letter, unfolding the paper and reading over it carefully. She wanted to frown or glare, but she was careful to keep any expression from crossing her face in case someone was watching and waiting to take pleasure in upsetting her.

The letter was typed to protect the identity of the sender, but the font was a chilling, sloppy cursive. '_You took something important from me. Now I'm going to take __**someone**__ important from each of you.'_

Lightning closed the mailbox and walked calmly to the house, unlocking the door with her keys. She did not bother looking over her shoulder for the third time as she pushed the door open and walked inside.

"Where were you?"

Although she was surprised, the ex-soldier would not let it show as she met eyes with Fang. She shut the door behind her, replying, "I went out."

"Well, you were here when I went to bed, and your air car was here when I went to the bathroom about an hour ago," Fang told her suspiciously. "So, you just felt like going for a walk at dawn?"

Lightning nodded stiffly.

"In the cold all by yourself?" Fang demanded.

"Yes," Lightning replied irritably. "I like the cold and being by myself."

Fang studied her for a long moment, eyes washing over her suspiciously before they finally came to rest on the letter in her hand. "Did you forget to get the mail last night?"

"No, I didn't." Lightning took off her jacket and hung it on the rack before sliding out of her boots. She moved past Fang as she handed her the letter. "This one came this morning while I was out. I'm going to wake up Snow. He should see it."

"Everyone in the house needs to see it," Fang corrected, pursing her lips as she read the one line of text for the second time. "This place is feeling less safe by the day."

"It's too early to wake up everyone else, but Snow should know right now," Lightning replied as she moved toward the stairs.

"I'm gonna get Sazh, too," Fang mumbled. "It might be too dangerous for him and Dajh to stay here for a while, and Hope should go home today instead of waiting for the weekend."

Lightning made a noise of agreement and disappeared onto the second floor.

Xxx

Lightning, Sazh, Snow, and Fang all sat around the kitchen table in the growing morning light. The four of them were silent, occasionally taking slow sips of coffee but otherwise completely lost in their thoughts. The letter had been pushed to the center of the table.

"This is getting pretty serious," Sazh commented suddenly as he took another sip of his coffee. "Hope doesn't want to leave early. He says he's not in danger and he wants to stay and help protect everyone."

"Hope is only fifteen," Lightning argued. "He has to leave."

"I agree with you." Sazh nodded firmly and looked at Snow. "I think I'll drive the boys to Hope's house tonight and come back right afterwards. It'll be easier for me knowing that Dajh is safe, and there's no reason for Hope to be dragged into this either."

Snow made a noise of agreement. "Good idea."

"I'm just worried about what might happen to the rest of you while I'm gone," Sazh voiced with a sigh. "We're better off in big numbers."

"Nothing's gonna happen to us," Fang assured him, though she did not look particularly convinced. "We're facing a tricky enemy right now, but we'll find a way to beat him. We've just gotta stop him from burning down this house."

"No one is burning down my house," Lightning growled sharply.

"You're right. We're not going to let that happen," Snow assured Lightning. "NORA Agents are already running the plates you gave us. They're going to call the second that they know anything."

"How'd you get all that information anyway?" Fang asked suspiciously. "D'you know something you're not sharing with us, Light?"

"I don't know any more than you do, but I have sources who spotted the car," Lightning replied dismissively, turning to Sazh. With a frown, she asked, "When are you planning on leaving tonight?"

"I'll probably go right after dinner," Sazh replied with a shrug. "I should be back within an hour."

"Be careful," Snow warned gravely, shaking his head. "If this guy thinks that you're in his way, he might try to chase you off the road. I could have agents escort you."

Sazh shook his head. "I think I'll be okay. He's not after me and the boys right now. What we really have to worry about is the weather. There's supposed to be some kind of storm tonight."

"It probably won't happen," Fang replied with a roll of her eyes. "I watch the weather every morning and they're always wrong. I'd be better off just looking out the window."

Snow offered a faint smile. "At least they get the temperature right."

"I guess that's something." Fang smiled faintly, pleased that her comment had partially brightened the mood.

Serah suddenly walked into the kitchen in her bathrobe. She was followed by Vanille, who was wearing one of Fang's baggy tunic shirts, which hung well below her hips. The three at the table went completely silent, each with a grim expression on their face.

Placing her hands on her hips, Serah scolded, "If something else happened, you don't have to keep it from us. We're involved too. We have a right to know what you were just talking about before we walked in."

"We were talking about the weather," Lightning told her sister sharply.

"I heard that, but what were you talking about first?" Serah demanded, appealing to her fiancé with big, frightened eyes. "Why do you all look so upset, Snow? Did something happen?"

Snow stood from the table and crossed the room, wrapping his arm around Serah's waist and kissing her brow. "We're not trying to keep anything from you, Serah. I just don't want you to be afraid."

"I'm not afraid, Snow," Serah told him gently, wrapping her arms around him and snuggling close. "I know you'll protect me."

"Always," he promised with a bright smile.

Vanille smiled faintly at the two of them before she crossed the room and sat on the chair beside Fang. With a pout, she leaned close and asked, "Something else happened, right? That's why you're all whispering in here and why you hardly touched your drink?"

Fang averted her gaze with a sigh.

"Tell me, Fang," Vanille requested sadly. "We never keep secrets."

"Yeah, I know." Fang smiled faintly and touched her cheek before handing her the letter. "You're both more involved in this than you think—more involved than any of us want."

Vanille skimmed over the letter, her eyes widening.

"What is it?" Serah asked, frightened.

"Here. You can look at it, too." Vanille stood up to hand Serah the letter.

The younger Farron sister gasped. "This means that we're all in danger…"

Fang nodded avidly. "Both of you have to stay in the house with all the doors locked and be with one of the three of us at all times. We can't take any chances with this. Usually I'd say that Vanille's pretty good at taking care of herself, but we don't know anything about this bad guy. He could be really strong."

"I have to go back to work in two days," Serah protested, hugging herself as she leaned closer to Snow. "I can't stay in the house forever, and I _have_ to go grocery shopping today. We have no food left in the house."

Snow wrapped his arms more firmly around her and squeezed her gently around the waist. "Don't worry, Serah. I'll call NORA and tell them I have to come in late. Then I can go grocery shopping with you and keep you safe."

"Really?" Serah smiled gratefully and pressed against him. "Thanks, Snow. That makes me feel a lot better."

"Don't thank me," Snow told her gently as he hugged her closer. "You always come first Serah, now and forever."

Lightning rolled her eyes and stood from the table. "I'm going upstairs."

Snow's PMC began to ring, causing everyone to freeze in place as they wondered if it was news about the case. By the looks on everyone's faces, Snow could see that they feared the worst, so he murmured reassuringly, "It must be Agent Young. He calls every morning to give me updates."

Everyone watched carefully as Snow pulled away from Serah and walked toward the sink to take the call. Lightning even lingered by the kitchen doorway, anxious to hear anything that might help them discover who was responsible for threatening their new way of life.

After a short conversation, Snow pressed the 'end' button on his PMC and turned around with a look that was partially remorseful and partially upset. "I have to go into the office right now. There was a fire in the evidence lab."

Fang narrowed her eyes. "A deliberate fire?"

"They don't know yet." Snow turned to Serah with a frown, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I'm really sorry about this, Serah. We can go grocery shopping later tonight if I'm back."

"We'll starve," Serah protested, glancing over her shoulder at her sister. "Will you come with me? I have to go."

Lightning nodded at Serah before focusing on Snow. "Does the fire affect our case?"

"All the evidence related to your investigation was destroyed," Snow replied with a serious look, shaking his head. "That includes the blood sample we collected."

"That sounds pretty intentional to me," Fang grumbled angrily. "When we catch this bastard, I want a few minutes alone with him."

"Fang, you know I can't let you do that," Snow warned with a disappointed look.

"I know, but a girl can dream, can't she?" Fang replied with a sigh, crossing her arms.

Vanille smiled sadly and hugged Fang around the shoulders, resting her chin against her arm. "You're gonna catch him, Fang. He'll mess up eventually, and the three of you will catch him and put him right in jail."

Fang smiled at Vanille, wrapping her arm around her and pulling her close. "You're right, Vanille. I just hope we can get him before he does anything serious."

"You will," Vanille assured her confidently, wrapping her arms around Fang's waist.

"I should go now," Snow exclaimed as he stepped forwards to give Serah a quick kiss. "The fire response team just cleared the area. I want to see the crime scene before anyone else has a chance to interfere with it. I'll see all of you later."

"Keep us updated," Fang requested.

Snow nodded and ran up the stairs to grab his equipment and his badge. When he returned, he slipped quickly into his boots and jacket and waved to everyone before racing out the door.

Lightning turned immediately to her sister. "When are we going shopping?"

"We should go as soon as possible. I want to beat the lunch crowd," Serah explained, smiling faintly. "Is that okay?"

"I'll go get ready," the ex-soldier replied before turning to walk up the stairs. As she was walking away, her PMC began to ring. The second that she saw the name on the screen, her eyes widened and she ran up the stairs, refraining from answering until she was out of earshot.

Fang watched her go with a sigh. "That must be her mystery date."

"Do you really think she's seeing someone?" Serah asked quietly as she walked across the room and sat down at the table.

"We're not sure," Vanille replied, though a faint smile grew on her features. "It sure seems like it though."

"We've gotta consider the facts," Fang added humorously. "Taking her air car out in the middle of the night, video chatting for hours, always shut up in her bedroom and refusing to tell us about her mysterious phone calls… That's not quite how the kids did it back in Oerba, but it's got all the telltale signs of a secret romance."

Serah lowered her eyes sadly. "I wonder why she wouldn't say anything to us."

"I dunno." Fang shrugged. "She might as well tell us, since we already know something's going on."

Though she opened her mouth to respond, Serah quieted when she heard the sound of footsteps running down the stairs. Everyone exchanged worried looks, Sazh standing from the table in case he was needed.

Lightning suddenly whirled around the corner, pausing for only a moment to grumble, "I have to go."

"What?" Serah gasped. "Claire, what about taking me grocery shopping? We _need_ food."

"Go with someone else or wait for me to get back," Lightning replied dismissively as she slid into her boots and threw the front door open. She did not even bother putting on her coat as she added, "It's an emergency. I'll be back later."

The front door slammed shut behind her before anyone could question her.

Serah jumped and turned to face the others with a frown. "What am I going to do?"

"I'll go with you, Serah," Vanille assured her gently.

"You're not going anywhere without me," Fang argued firmly. "Let me go get some stuff together. Then we can go."

"Okay." Serah bit her lip, staring at the closed front door. "I hope Claire is okay. What kind of emergency could it be?"

"I dunno, but I know she'll be okay," Vanille reassured her with a bright smile. "We'll all be okay. This is gonna be over soon. I can feel it."

"I hope you're right, Vanille," Serah replied, hugging herself. "I have a really bad feeling."

Xxx

While Serah and Vanille were putting on their boots and winter jackets and getting ready to go outside, Fang walked into the kitchen where Sazh was serving breakfast to Hope and Dajh. She waited until he was getting up to serve himself before cornering him by the counter and asking with a lowered voice, "Will you three be okay while we're gone?"

"He's not after us, right?" Sazh replied, forcing a smile. "You three be careful. We'll hold down the fort until you come back."

Fang offered a wry smile and nodded, glancing back at Hope and Dajh. The teenager and the child were watching her suspiciously. She could also tell that Sazh was not really happy that the three of them were going to leave him alone with the children, because it was possible that he would not be enough to protect them, but unfortunately they had little choice. Hope could be trusted to help defend the house if necessary, but she hoped that she would not regret choosing to leave them alone instead of waiting for Lightning to return.

"We'll be back as soon as we can," Fang assured Sazh. "It shouldn't take long."

He nodded. "Like I said, be careful."

"I always am when Vanille's involved," Fang replied with a grave smile before waving to Hope and Dajh. "Look out for trouble, boys, and if things get rough, raid Lightning's room. She's got enough weapons in there for a small army, and I know you know how to shoot a gun, Hope."

Hope nodded eagerly, looking pleased that someone was finally taking him seriously. "Everyone keeps treating me like a kid, but I helped save Serah too."

"Just don't do anything rash," Fang told him firmly before waving to Sazh. "See you later. We'll try to keep this quick."

Once they had exchanged another set of quick goodbyes, Fang turned to walk into the front room and tugged her jacket out of the front closet. She slipped into a pair of hunting boots and grabbed her staff.

"Fang, you can't bring that," Vanille teased with a faint smile as she moved closer and hugged her arm. "You'll get in trouble carrying it around in public."

"I've got a NORA badge," Fang informed her with a small smirk, wrapping her arm around her waist. "I can carry as many weapons as I want."

Vanille glanced quizzically up at her. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I always check if I'm breaking the law or not," Fang replied with a grin as she leaned down to kiss the top of her head. Looking to Serah, she asked, "Are you ready to go?"

"Yes, I'm ready." Serah added bravely, "I will _not_ let us starve to death, so whoever is doing this is just going to have to wait until later."

"I hope they do," Fang murmured with a sigh, wrapping her arm around Vanille's waist. "Come on. I'll drive."

The group of three walked quickly to the car, each of them hyperaware of their surroundings. In the past, they might not have even noticed the suspicious trail of footprints leading to the mailbox or traveling along the forest line in the distance, but now every detail seemed relevant. An uninvited guest was abusing their hospitality, and he returned almost every night to spy on them or perhaps just to leave a frightening trail. There was no way of knowing when things would finally escalate.

Fang waited outside of the air car until both Vanille and Serah had shut and locked their doors before she slid into the driver's seat and handed her staff to Vanille. She tugged her own door shut and put on her seatbelt before starting the car and glancing into the mirror. As she pulled silently out of the driveway, Fang tried to simultaneously watch the road behind her and peek at all of the large shrubbery around the house. There were so many places to hide, and she really would feel guilty if something happened to Sazh, Dajh, or Hope while they were gone.

Once Fang was out of the driveway, she drove quickly through the air, hovering about three feet above the snow. They did not come across any disturbances all the way to the supermarket, which was located on the main strip in the center of town. Although there were people all around and the area was heavily populated, Fang knew that they had to be careful.

"Let me get out of the car first," Fang mumbled after she parked. "I'll knock on the window to let you know it's safe."

Vanille and Serah shared grave looks and waited.

Fang opened her door and climbed slowly out, her eyes scanning the area. She searched first for black hoodies and any other suspicious characters and then began to look for people who seemed normal other than being far too interested in the group of them. When she did not spot anything unusual, Fang knocked twice on the window and waited patiently for the others, her eyes still studying their surroundings. She was not going to let anything happen on her watch.

Once they were inside of the store, Fang calmed down a bit, but she did not stop paying attention. She told Serah wearily, "Do your shopping. I'll just follow behind and keep a lookout."

"I'll be as quick as I can," Serah assured her as she looked at her list. She hurried toward the shopping carts, exclaiming, "We need a lot of different things, but I can try to shorten the list so we don't have to stay here any longer than necessary."

"That's a good idea, Serah," Vanille agreed, hugging herself.

The three women wandered the aisles for a while, Vanille alternating between helping Serah gather the groceries that they needed and helping Fang keep a lookout. She felt tremendously safer and even somewhat stronger in Fang's presence. After all, Fang would not let anyone hurt her too badly, so it seemed perfectly safe to help her fight if the need arose. Vanille could only hope that if someone did attack them, there was only one attacker, because she did not know how she would fare if Fang was too distracted to help her. Shopping malls were not exactly like the forest. It would be much more difficult to climb up on the shelves than it had been to use trees to her advantage in the past, and she did not have any weapons with her.

Elsewhere in the store, a shriek of surprise filled the air, and an angry voice shouted, "Everybody get down if you know what's good for you. I will shoot every last one of you to get what I want!"

Fang stiffened, moving closer to Serah and Vanille. "Don't move, and don't talk."

"This is a robbery. All I want is all the cash in the register," the deep voice shouted viciously. "If I get what I want, nobody gets hurt. If that doesn't happen, I kill as many people as I can before NORA shows up. Does everyone understand?"

His words were met by nothing but silence.

"Good! You, start loading up this bag with cash. Everyone else, keep your hands where I can see them and stare at the ground."

Vanille sighed with relief, pleased that they were far enough away that the robber could not see them within the aisle. "Let's all just get down and wait this out. He'll take the money and leave."

Fang frowned and stood up, peeking over the shelves. "I don't believe in coincidences, Vanille. This could be our bad guy making a scene because he thinks it's funny to taunt us."

"What's he look like?" Vanille whispered quietly, standing up but unable to see anything. "I'm too short to look over the shelves like that."

"He's wearing a black hoodie, I can tell you that." Fang narrowed her eyes. "You two stay here and stay completely hidden. I'm gonna go get a closer look, but if anyone so much as comes near you, I want you to scream so loudly people outside can hear you, got it?"

Serah nodded, moving closer to Vanille as she crouched down.

"Be careful, Fang," Vanille requested with a pout, biting her lip. "He's got a gun."

"I know, but he won't see me coming if he's not our attacker," Fang assured Vanille gently, giving her hand a squeeze before she turned and disappeared around the corner of the aisle.

The Gran Pulsian woman remained hunched over, sneaking through the aisles and shushing the frightened patrons of the grocery store as she moved past. She occasionally flashed her NORA badge when she noticed panicked eyes focusing on the gun she held in her right hand. Fang moved as close to the cash register as she could before she crouched down and peeked around the edge of a display stand. The man in front of the register was far too short to be the same man that she had seen in front of the house when it had all started, but that did not mean that he was not involved. Fang aimed her gun, making sure that she was prepared to shoot on a second's notice. Then she moved out into the open.

"Hold it right there," Fang snapped coldly.

The cashier and the robber both jumped, but it was the robber who whirled to face Fang, shouting angrily, "What the hell are you doing yelling at a guy holding a gun? I almost shot this girl!"

"Weren't you threatening to do that anyway?" Fang grumbled, rolling her eyes. "Put the weapon down. You're under arrest. I promise I can shoot you before you pull that trigger on her, so don't do anything stupid."

"Are you really sure of that?" He sneered.

"Doesn't matter," Fang challenged, narrowing her eyes. "I'll shoot you whether or not you shoot her. Either way, you're dead."

He dropped his weapon on the ground, raising his hands in the air. "Actually, I'm going to walk right out of here. I wasn't going to hurt anyone anyway. This is a setup."

"What d'you mean it's a setup?" Fang narrowed her eyes.

Two shrieks suddenly filled the air and Fang felt her stomach drop. The voices undoubtedly belonged to Vanille and Serah, and both of them sounded petrified.

"That's my cue!" The robber turned and raced out of the store.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Fang shouted as she turned to face back through the aisles. "We just want some damn groceries!"

Fang whirled around the corner of the aisle, brandishing a gun in one hand and her staff in the other. Her first sight was a muscular man in a black hoodie dragging Serah backwards through the aisle as she kicked and screamed loudly. When her struggling grew too great, he heaved her upwards, carrying her in his arms and he turned to race away with her. Vanille dove after them, jumping on the man's back and clawing at his eyes from behind. He dropped Serah, who landed on the ground with a thud, and threw Vanille off of him with several very skilled moves. The younger Gran Pulsian woman fell into one of the shelves with a cry of surprise and reached for Serah's purse, brandishing it like a weapon.

As the attacker turned toward Vanille, he spotted Fang speeding toward him with her staff above her head and jumped backwards, racing around Serah to escape. He spun around the aisle and disappeared. Fang wanted to run after him, but she was too afraid that if she ran around the corner, someone else would appear to attack Serah and Vanille again.

Fang crouched at Vanille's side, checking her elbow, which had been bruised when she hit the ground, as she glanced across the way at Serah, who was picking herself up. "Are you two okay?"

"I'm fine," Vanille whispered, glancing fearfully at Serah. "What about you?"

Serah gave a nervous nod, glancing at her half full shopping car. "We have most of what we needed. I think we should just go."

"That's a good idea." Fang furrowed her brows, glancing around. "That whole thing was a trap, a setup. The robber was just a distraction to get me away from you two."

"How does this bad guy know everything we're gonna do, Fang?" Vanille asked in frustration. "We can't even go to the grocery store."

"I dunno," Fang frowned faintly. "Nobody should've known we were coming here unless there's another bug in our house. I'll check when we get home."

"H-He said something to me when he started dragging me away," Serah whispered nervously, hugging herself. "His voice was really low and gravelly."

"What'd he say?" Fang asked.

"He said…" Serah bit her lip. "He said, 'Now you're mine, Serah Farron.'"

Vanille's eyes widened. "Did he say anything about Snow?"

"No. That's all he said," Serah replied, looking to Fang. "I thought this was about Lightning."

"I thought so, too…" Fang shook her head. "Whether or not it was to get back at Snow, he was trying to kidnap you. I don't wanna give him another chance, so let's pay and get out of here."

Serah nodded firmly. "We're going to have to move to another town, aren't we?"

"Not if I can help it. We're gonna catch this guy."

Vanille gripped the back of Fang's arm as she glanced around, clearly disturbed.

Serah pulled herself off of the ground and leaned against the shopping cart for a moment before pushing it forwards. "Okay. Let's go."

A few moments later, they were waiting in line, and Vanille leaned close to Fang, whispering, "He was _really_ strong when he threw me off, Fang. I don't think that was just a regular person. He's gotta be trained, like a soldier or something."

Fang nodded, still glancing around to make sure there were no suspicious characters. "I'll talk to Snow and Light about it. If this is still about Lightning, it might be someone who knows her because he was in the army."

Vanille nodded, sighing. "I can't wait for this to be over."

"Me either," Fang told her gently, squeezing her hand.

Xxx

Once they returned to the house, Fang stood watch while Serah and Vanille unloaded the groceries and carried them quickly inside of the house. When they were all finished and the house was locked, everyone gathered together in the kitchen. Snow and Lightning were still absent, and everyone who had gone to the grocery store was clearly shaken.

"What happened at the store?" Sazh asked with a frown.

"Going there was a bad idea," Vanille said quietly before explaining everything that had happened.

"We should've known there'd be a trap," Fang grunted angrily. "I just can't believe I fell for it. I've gotta be better than that."

"Fang, everything turned out okay," Vanille assured her gently, scooting closer to her. "We're all fine."

"For now," Fang replied with a frown.

"We might want to consider leaving town until we figure this out," Sazh suggested.

"Claire will never leave this house," Serah told him firmly. "And we can't leave her alone."

"Besides, I think this guy'll just follow us wherever we go," Fang muttered, clenching her fists. "Where's Light anyway? She never came back?"

Sazh shook his head. "I haven't seen her."

"She's been gone a really long time." Hope frowned worriedly. "Snow isn't back yet either."

"We're like sitting ducks," Serah whispered fearfully.

"Everything's gonna be fine," Vanille assured them all with a pleasant smile. "We're gonna catch this guy. He'll make a mistake. They always do."

"What d'you know about that?" Fang asked with a weak smile as she wrapped her arm around her waist and pulled her close.

"I've been watching TV a lot," Vanille told Fang with a faint smile. "Before all this started, I was really bored while you were at work all day."

"You mean when we weren't busy planning my wedding," Serah replied with a sigh, resting her cheek against her hand. "I don't know what I'm going to do. By the time this is over, we'll have to postpone the ceremony."

"Don't worry, Serah. I'll help you plan everything really quickly once this is over," Vanille told her gently. "We have a lot of time left."

"Thanks, Vanille. I really appreciate it."

Everything changed in an instant. There were several faint pops of silenced guns as lasers suddenly laced through the glass sliding doors leading to the porch. The room filled with warm light that melted holes into the walls and pandemonium ensued.

"Get down!" Fang shouted in horror, grabbing Vanille by the shoulders and dragging her to the floor as she crawled partially on top of her to protect her.

Everyone flopped onto their stomachs, Sazh pulling his son beneath the table and shielding his body. Serah and Hope moved close together, both covering their heads with their hands as though it would protect them.

The laser show went on for a long time, melting small holes in the glass doors and the walls. When the shower of lasers finally ceased, it took a short while for the residual heat to clear away before the cold air seeped in front the outside. Everyone remained in place for a long time, too shocked to move, before Fang pulled herself tentatively to her feet. Vanille tried to stop her, frightened that she would be shot, but the taller woman would not relent.

When there were no more shots, Fang clenched her fists and growled, "I'm going outside to catch the bastard that just did that. Lock the door behind me and arm yourselves. I can't take this anymore!"

"Fang, wait!" Vanille cried in protest, pulling herself to her feet. "They have _guns_. You can't just go outside like that."

"I'm armed, too," Fang reminded her love as she turned to run out the back door. "Stay inside no matter what happens. I'll be back in a minute."

Vanille tried to run after her, but Hope grabbed her arm and tugged her backwards. "Come on, Vanille. Let's go upstairs to get some weapons. Serah, you can stay here with Sazh. We'll bring weapons for both of you. Dajh, you should probably just stay under the table."

"The table won't protect me," Dajh protested. "I can learn to shoot!"

"You're too young, son," Sazh argued, lowering his voice. "Go hide in the closet and don't even make a sound. That way if someone comes in, they won't know where to look for you."

Dajh seemed to understand the gravity of the situation, so he nodded fearfully and ran into the other room.

"We'll be right back," Hope said urgently.

Vanille ran up the stairs, barely registering the sound of Hope skipping steps behind her. The sound of glass shattering in the kitchen followed by Serah's shout stopped them in their tracks, but Vanille ultimately decided that they could not stop. "Come on, Hope. We might not be able to help them without some kind of weapon. Let's just hurry."

"I guess you're right," Hope agreed with a worried look. "Go faster."

Vanille quickened her pace and spun around the corner, heading toward Lightning's room. She had just placed her hand on the doorknob when a strange noise behind her caused her to glance over her shoulder. "Hope, was that you?"

A gasp of surprise died in her throat as she realized Hope was lying on the ground a few feet away from her. Her eyes scanned the hallway, but there was no one nearby.

There was a creak behind her and her heart stopped. It was too late to turn around. An arm curled around Vanille's shoulders, holding her still with strength she had not expected, and a black-gloved hand held a piece of fabric over her nose and mouth. A strange smell filled her nostrils and she began to feel faint. Her fingers groped for anything that she could use as a weapon, and Vanille realized that the entire time she had been wearing the hunting knife Fang had given her so many years ago. In a last ditch effort to escape, Vanille tore the knife out of her pocket, lifted it up and stabbed it down into her attacker's upper leg.

His shout of surprise echoed through her exhausted mind as the world suddenly went black.

Xxx

Fang followed the footprints for only a few minutes before she heard the glass shatter behind her. She turned around in time to see a black-hooded figure smashing through the glass of the sliding doors and forcing his way into the kitchen. Fang immediately ran back to the house, and when she found Sazh and Serah struggling against an injured man who was dressed in the same black clothes as all the others, she crossed the room and punched him in the jaw with such force that he fell on the floor, completely unconscious.

"Tie him up," Fang ordered immediately. "Are you two okay?"

Serah nodded, sighing with relief. "I thought he was going to kill us. Sazh fought him when he came through the door, but he wouldn't stop. He was like a machine."

"Kind of like a soldier?" Fang asked with a sigh, studying him. "He's taller than the other one, but tie him up for now. Where're the others?"

"I sent Dajh to hide in the closet," Sazh explained as he tried to catch his breath. "I'm too old to be doing this anymore. All I want is a nice quiet life."

Fang shook her head, smiling wryly. "Are Vanille and Hope hiding too?"

"No. They went upstairs to get some weapons," Serah replied, but then she frowned. "Shouldn't they be back by now?"

Frightened by those words, Fang turned and ran toward the stairs, shouting hoarsely, "Vanille, are you up there?"

When there was no response, Fang quickened her pace, jumping two stairs at a time. She whirled around the corner and stopped dead in her tracks when she spotted Hope lying on the floor with a nasty bruise forming on the side of his head. There was blood on the floor, a lot of it. Fang resisted the urge to hyperventilate as she ran to Lightning's bedroom and threw the door open. The room was completely empty.

Fang knew that Vanille had never come back down the stairs, and for a moment she was completely convinced that one of the attackers must have come in through a window. She almost slapped herself when she realized that there was another entrance into the house, the staircase on the other side of their home that lead down to the storage garage. Fang had never used that entrance before, since Lightning treated it like her private hallway.

Without a second to waste, Fang ran to the other side of the house and threw open to door to the second set of stairs. Her eyes widened in horror when she found a trail of blood leading down the steps. She raced downwards, jumping two stairs at a time without even trying not to step in the blood. The steps were old and rickety, but Fang did not even notice as adrenaline pumped through her entire body.

When Fang reached the bottom, she found that the side door had been left open. There was only one set of footprints through the snow, which meant that Vanille had to have been carried away. She would never allow someone to take her without a fight, no matter how weak she might be compared to them, which meant that she had been unconscious.

Fang knew there was no time to panic, so she raced through the snow, following the footprints all the way to the road on the eastern side of the property. There was a space in the snowy street where an air car had been waiting, but there was no way to track it once it had lifted off of the ground. Fang did not care. She chose a random direction and began running, pushing herself as hard as she could until her legs collapsed, at which point she nearly shrieked in frustration and panic.

A deep breath was not enough to calm her, but there was no time, so she ripped her PMC out of her pocket and called Lightning. When the other woman did not answer, she called two more times before giving up and seeking Snow.

"Fang, what's up?" Snow answered distractedly. "We're still cleaning things up—"

"Get back home _now_." Fang tried to sound assertive, but she mostly sounded desperate and frightened. "Vanille's been kidnapped. The bastard tried to take Serah at the grocery store, but he couldn't get her, so he came back to the house and took Vanille instead."

"What?" Snow gasped. "I'm on my way."

Xxx

Lightning pulled into the driveway and nearly threw herself out of the car. When she had noticed that she had three missed calls from Fang, she had thought that the other woman was just trying to figure out where she was, but when she had seen that there were at least three NORA cars parked in front of the house, she feared the worst. The ex-soldier raced through the front door. She found everyone sitting in the living room as Fang paced back and forth around the room.

"What happened here?" Lightning demanded. "Is everyone okay?"

"Where the hell were you?!" Fang snapped angrily. "While you were gone, someone destroyed your kitchen with enough laser fire to kill us all and then kidnapped Vanille."

"There was an emergency," Lightning grumbled, though she looked genuinely sympathetic. "Your calls didn't come through until I was on my way back."

Fang merely crossed her arms, lowering her eyes because she was too upset.

"Do we have any clues about who took her or where they might have gone?"

With a shake of her head, Fang resumed pacing. "NORA agents are already combing the area outside."

"There are other agents scouting the city as well," Snow chimed in. "Everyone is on high alert, and we put messages on the TVs telling people to look out for Vanille, a suspicious character in a black hoodie, and the getaway car."

"What about the dogs?" Lightning asked when she noticed that they were not in the room.

"They've been in the attic all day," Fang explained. "They couldn't get out."

"Can they track her?" Lightning asked.

"Not yet. They're too young." Fang clenched her fists. "I should've been in here. What the hell was I thinking going outside? It was obviously another trap."

"Don't waste time blaming yourself," Lightning commanded, narrowing her eyes. "It won't help anyone."

"She's right, Fang," Serah offered gently, standing up and placing her hand on her shoulder.

"We have to keep our heads if we want to find Vanille," Sazh agreed.

"Besides, it's my fault," Hope offered miserably, covering his face with his hands. "I didn't even see the attacker coming. I didn't stand a chance."

Sazh reached out and squeezed Hope's shoulder. "We're going to find her. It's okay."

Fang took a deep breath and looked at Lightning. "That emergency, is it all sorted out now? Is everyone okay?"

Lightning gave a firm nod, furrowing her brows.

"What happened?" Serah asked quietly.

"There was another fire," Lightning replied, asserting, "but we don't have time for that now. We have to find Vanille. I have friends, people I know from the army. I can make some calls."

Fang nodded weakly, sinking into one of the chairs and pressing her fingers to her temples. "It's time to think now. Where would he take Vanille?"

Everyone frowned thoughtfully, because no one quite knew the answer without knowing anything about the suspect.

Xxx

Snow walked down the stairs and sighed wearily as everyone looked up at him. "The teams upstairs finished investigating the scene. There are signs of a struggle, but not much else. The blood belongs to the suspect, not Vanille, so we have another sample for comparison if we catch him."

"I thought the lab was destroyed," Lightning grumbled.

"Enough of the lab survived to test new evidence. Most of what was destroyed was evidence for open cases, including this one," Snow explained, shaking his head.

"What about the evidence outside?" Hope asked desperately.

"There are three sets of footprints around the house," Fang explained, her voice taking on a fierce tone as she tried to disguise the sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. Nothing would matter if she lost Vanille. "We caught one of the guys, but he's claiming he was hired and has nothing to do with the actual crime."

Snow nodded, adding, "We already brought him back to headquarters. He's being interrogated as we speak. We'll find out if he's telling the truth or not."

"If anything happens to Vanille, that bastard and everyone that worked with him are gonna wish they were never born," Fang asserted coldly.

"We are going to find the woman who was kidnapped," an agent assured them as he walked down the stairs.

Lightning looked up at the sound of a familiar voice and visibly stiffened, clenching her fists, "Jake? What the hell are you doing here?"

"Relax. I'm not here to insult you again," Jake insisted, putting his hands up as though to surrender. "I know that what happened at Christmas was completely my fault. I was going through something and I really screwed up our date, but that has nothing to do with this. I'm here to fill in for Agent Young. He never showed up for work this morning."

"Agent Dellon was the only on-call agent not working on an assignment already," Snow explained quietly, musing that it might not have been the best idea to bring him into the house when Lightning hated him and he had clearly been interested in Serah in the past.

"What does he mean Agent Young never showed up?" Fang asked with narrowed eyes.

"He called in sick this morning," Snow explained quietly. "He said he had the flu."

Agent Dellon smiled faintly. "I'm glad I got this assignment. I really want to make up for Christmas, especially to you, Lightning. I was really going through something back then, and I was a complete jerk to you."

Lightning scoffed indifferently. "Just do your job."

He nodded, smiling sheepishly. "I completely deserve that. I hope you'll just accept my apology."

The ex-soldier merely frowned.

"I guess it's too early to ask for forgiveness." He laughed awkwardly and looked at Fang. "Agent Yun, the woman kidnapped was your…partner?"

Fang nodded, frowning anxiously. "This attacker seems to have a grudge against Lightning, Snow, and me. He threatened to take away the people we love. There were two other emergencies this morning, probably to separate all of us so we wouldn't be able to protect them, and he tried to kidnap Serah at the grocery store."

Agent Dellon nodded, making note of her comments on a small pad of paper. "On my way in, I questioned some of the people living in the houses nearby. A few witnesses down the road saw the perp speeding out of here in a car that matched the description about an hour ago. A traffic drone caught him going over the speed limit a few minutes later. That could help narrow down the search."

"Where was he headed?" Snow prompted.

"Into the city," Agent Dellon explained with a frown. "So far we haven't seen him show up on any of the other drones, but we're going to catch him. I'm sure someone else spotted a car going that fast."

"We have the license plates. Why don't we know who the air car belongs to?" Fang demanded angrily.

"It isn't registered," Agent Dellon exclaimed with an apologetic look.

Fang merely clenched her fists.

"I'm going back to headquarters to see what else I can dig up. I'll call as soon as I have more information."

"Keep Agent Young informed, too," Snow ordered gently.

Agent Dellon shrugged indifferently. "I'll try, but I've been calling him all morning. I guess he's too sick to answer. I left a few messages, but he hasn't gotten back to me."

"Okay. I'll call him later." Snow waved his hand to dismiss him and turned back to the others. "Claire, you have to keep thinking about who might want to do this to you, and Fang, I think you should start thinking about your enemies, too."

"Aside from the people we met while we were trying to rescue Serah and save Cocoon, everyone I know's been dead for five hundred years," Fang grunted angrily. "It's not any of them."

"She makes a good point," Sazh offered with a sigh.

"There has to be some way to figure out who's doing this," Lightning muttered, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples. "I've been trying to think of anyone who knows all three of us. Maybe we _should_ be looking at enemies we fought as l'Cie. Is there a chance any of our enemies survived?"

"With the kind of power they had, they wouldn't go about it like this," Fang argued with a frown. "We're looking for a fighter with advanced training, an agent like you."

Lightning pursed her lips. "That doesn't narrow it down."

"Well, we've got no choice but to start somewhere. Make a list of everyone you knew."

Xxx

First there was nothing but darkness, and then there was a light, but it was very dim. Her thoughts were soft and uncertain, her head still spinning. As her eyes began to open, Vanille squinted and tried to absorb the blurred images of her surroundings. When her vision finally cleared, the Gran Pulsian woman realized that she was seated in a tiny room with dirty concrete walls and a cold cement floor. The ceiling was low, but that was the least of her concerns. Not only did she not know where she was or how she had gotten there, but she could not move her hands at all.

Vanille looked down at herself and gasped in surprise, her chest tightening fearfully. She had been stripped down to her bra and underwear and seated on a small wooden chair. Her arms were tied behind her back, secured to the chair at such an angle that she could not stand without hurting her shoulders.

Her mind spun as she tried to remember what had happened before she had blacked out. The memories came creeping back slowly, beginning with a scream and her body feeling as though it were melting into a puddle as her mind floated away. Quickly she realized that she had been kidnapped by the very evil man who wanted to destroy them all.

Vanille felt the hairs on her neck stand and could not resist the urge to look up. She jumped in surprise, yet another scream dying in her throat, as she realized that he was standing in the shadows against the wall, his dark hood pulled over his head. She could see the he wore a white plastic mask that concealed his entire face and his eyes. He was also clearly injured, leaning heavily to one side.

Fear surged through Vanille, but she tried to hide it. "You better let me go or Fang's gonna kill you. She'll find me."

"Your precious Yun Fang will only find you when I allow her to," he replied, shaking his head back and forth. "I will give her the clues she needs when I'm ready, and by the time she finds you, I will not be here."

"What did any of them do to you?" Vanille snapped. "Why're you doing this?"

"You don't know anything about it. You weren't involved at all."

"Then why am I here? I never did anything to you," Vanille insisted coldly, trying to buy time because Fang must be on her way.

"Hurting you is the best way to hurt Yun Fang."

"That's not fair!" Vanille cried nervously, shifting in her seat. "Why'd you take my clothes off? I'm _cold_."

"You are not as formidable as your lover, but clearly you can still pose a threat," he grunted, motioning to his leg. "I couldn't allow the chance that you had other weapons, so I had to search you. Now modesty will prevent you from fighting me if you escape, though that will not happen."

Vanille pursed her lips, musing that she was not modest at all and she _would_ find a way to escape. "You shouldn't hurt me. Anything you do to me, Fang'll do worse to you."

"Do not hide behind her. It makes you seem very weak." He took a step forwards with a clear limp, and a silver blade shimmered in his hand. It was the same knife that Vanille had used to stab him. His fist tightened around the hilt of the weapon, which had been wiped clean. "Have you ever been hurt?"

"Everyone's been hurt," Vanille replied, eying the blade nervously. "I was a l'Cie, you know. I got hurt loads of times."

"Good. Then you're prepared." He took another step toward her. "I'm going to hurt you now, Vanille."

"You don't have to do this," Vanille gasped desperately, her stomach twisting in a knot. "Fang'll come after me whether you hurt me or not. She'll be here just like you want."

"This is not because of Fang. This is because of what you did to me. You hurt me, so I'm going to hurt you. There is no other way."

"I _had_ to hurt you," Vanille cried. "You were trying to kidnap me."

"I wouldn't have hurt you. Now I have no choice."

Vanille struggled against her bonds, kicking her legs. "Let me go! I'm not gonna let you kill me."

He ignored her words, moving forwards and grabbing one of her kicking legs. He squeezed so tightly her skin began to sting as he lifted the knife high above her head.

Vanille clenched her eyes shut, preparing for him to slit her throat.

The masked man brought the blade down and imbedded it deep into Vanille's left thigh.

With a gasp of surprise, Vanille's eyes snapped open and she looked down at herself. At first, she felt nothing at all, not even a sting of pain, but the panic set in when the blood began to trickle down the side of her leg. After that, it started with a dull throbbing and then escalated sharply until the pain was so unbearable that she almost lost consciousness. Her breathing became heavy and her entire body trembled, teeth gritting so hard that her jaw ached.

"That is revenge. It is justice," he told her as he tore the blade out.

The wound erupted with blood and Vanille tried not to scream or faint, because she knew that it would only satisfy him and make her death more certain.

"I hope Yun Fang is able to rescue you before you bleed to death. It won't be long now."

Vanille did not have the strength to answer him.

"I'll give her clues. She will have a fair chance at finding you."

"Are you insane?" Vanille cried as she struggled against the bonds securing her hands to the chair. Her voice was weak as she added, "What about giving me a fair chance? I'm bleeding too much! I'll die!"

He shook his head, taking a step backwards. "This is the only way."

Without another word, he turned and walked out of the room, slamming the metal door shut behind him.

Vanille moaned in pain and panic, her eyes frantically moving about the room for anything that she could use to free herself. Her clothes were folded neatly on a metal table nearby, but otherwise the room was completely bare. If she could get her clothes, she could at least stop the bleeding for a while, but she could not get her hands free no matter how she thrashed. The ropes were knotted too tightly and there was nothing she could use to cut them.

After a short while, Vanille slumped to the side in defeat. She winced in pain as her leg began to sting even more fiercely. It was difficult to tell how quickly she was losing blood or how serious her wound had become. She had never been stabbed before, but the dizzy feeling within her made her certain that she had only a few precious moments.

Everything was beginning to spin. There was not much time left.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

AN: Here is the sixth installment of Crimes of Passion. The chapter also gets intense in some places. I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I own OCs and story plot. FFXIII plot and characters belongs to Square Enix.

When the doorbell rang in the late afternoon, little had changed since Vanille had been taken a few hours earlier. Fang had given up on pacing around the room, but she was still seated on the same couch cushion muttering to herself as she tried to figure out where a kidnapper might take their victim in New Cocoon. Meanwhile, Lightning was sitting on the other side of the couch still working on a very long list of people she had ever encountered who might want to harm her. Snow and Sazh were trying to comfort Hope, who was sitting on the easy chair across from the couch and still feeling guilty that he could not protect Vanille. Serah was sitting on the floor with Dajh playing a game that she hoped would distract her as much as it was distracting him from the very real and frightening situation in which they all found themselves.

The doorbell rang again and everyone looked up as though they had not heard it the first time. A few looks were exchanged before Snow stood from where he was seated on the arm of the easy chair. "I'll get it."

Snow held his gun steady at his side and nodded to the two agents posted on either side of the room before tugging the door open. He sighed with relief.

"Agent Dellon, come inside quickly." Snow motioned the agent into the house and shut the door behind him. "Did you find anything?"

Fang looked up desperately.

Agent Dellon shook his head, frowning deeply. "We had a lead on the car about an hour ago, but it hasn't been spotted since. I narrowed the search, figuring out a few different areas where he might have taken the victim, but we haven't found anything and the witnesses around those areas don't remember seeing anything strange or anyone of Vanille's description."

"This searching is hopeless. It sounds like all your men are just wandering around in circles," Fang grumbled, clenching her fists as she stood. "I'm done waiting. I've gotta go look for her now."

"No, Agent Yun. That isn't a good idea," Agent Dellon interrupted firmly. "We don't know where she is. You could go to the wrong part of the city and completely miss her."

"I don't care. I've at least gotta try," Fang snapped as she took a step forwards. "Don't try to get in my way or you'll regret it."

"Okay, I can't stop you, but before you go, are you at least sure that Vanille doesn't have any enemies?" Agent Dellon prompted. "It would really help."

"No, she doesn't have any enemies. Everyone loves Vanille. Everyone's always loved her," Fang replied exasperatedly. "Whoever's doing this is after Lightning. I'm sure of that. I just can't figure out why he'd be after me and Snow as well."

"Maybe that's just what he wants you to think," Agent Dellon replied calmly, narrowing his eyes. "You need to stay here for now. You'll be the first one to know when we have a better idea where he might have taken her."

"What have _you_ done so far?" Lightning demanded as she stood up. "How did you narrow down the search?"

"I started with all the areas in the city where criminals would feel pretty comfortable and safe, then I cross-referenced them with the three areas where the car was spotted today and the general direction it was going every time a drone spotted it," Agent Dellon replied. "I've had agents canvassing those areas all morning. A lot of the leads have turned up false so far, but I had my team search every nook and cranny of those parts of the city because I know how important this is to all of you. We can't let someone do this to our own agents."

Lightning narrowed her eyes, but she could not think of something else he could have done.

"I know I was kind of an asshole during our date, but I'm actually a really good agent," Agent Dellon assured her. "I promise we're going to find her. No matter what happens, we'll figure out who did this and why and we'll save Vanille."

"You better be right," Fang grunted angrily, crossing her arms. "If anything happens to her, things are gonna get very frightening around here."

Agent Dellon frowned faintly but did not reply.

Snow's PMC began to ring, so he answered and listened carefully, occasionally giving noncommittal replies. When he hung up the phone, he turned to face his friends. "My best agents have been patrolling for hours looking for witnesses, but aside from the few people Agent Dellon's team already questioned, no one remembers seeing anyone who fits Vanille's description or any suspicious black vehicles."

Fang's shoulders fell with defeat.

"I should make tea," Serah exclaimed emotionally before she stood up and ran out of the room.

Snow frowned after her knowing that Serah just did not want everyone to see how frightened and upset she felt.

"We need a lead, just like usual," Fang grunted, slapping her fist against her palm. "That's been the problem from the beginning. This guy is too good and he wants us to know it. From the start, he's never left behind any kind of evidence. Even when he had close calls with us, he never got caught. He's always two steps ahead of us, knowing what we're gonna do before we even think about it. He makes sure we do what he wants by distracting us with decoys that claim he hires them off the street without telling them what they're getting involved in. This is clearly a highly trained individual, either a criminal or a soldier of some kind."

"He could be a mercenary," Snow pointed out. "We had a few of those along with a lot of shady characters in Cocoon."

"Maybe it's a whole group of them. They could be lying about being hired guns," Fang suggested, narrowing her eyes. "We need to question P.J. and the other one again. They're still locked up, right?"

Snow nodded. "But we've already questioned them again. They say they don't know anything."

"Maybe you're not questioning them the right way," Fang snapped.

Sazh shook his head. "According to the reactions of the two we caught so far, I think they don't know what they're getting into when they sign up."

"It doesn't matter. No decent person would agree to do those things even for the right price," Lightning interrupted irritably. "Whether or not they knew what was going on, they're going to be in jail for a very long time. We'll make sure of that."

The doorbell rang again, silencing everyone.

Agent Dellon furrowed his brows. "Maybe Agent Young is feeling better and decided to drop by."

"I didn't hear from him at all," Snow argued with a frown as he glanced at one of the agents standing watch. "What do you see out the window?"

"It looks like a delivery guy."

With a concerned look, Snow gripped his gun and pulled the door open.

The deliveryman's eyes widened when he spotted the gun, but he quickly noticed the badge on Snow's waist. He cleared his throat nervously. "Uh, hello. Um…I-I have a delivery here for Yun Fang… Does that person live here?"

"I'm right here." Fang stood and briskly crossed the room, furrowing her brows as she stared at the small package. "What's in there?"

The deliveryman shrugged as he handed her a clipboard to sign. "I don't know. I just deliver. I-I didn't mean to interrupt some kind of operation. I saw all the NORA cars in the driveway, but I just thought… Anyway, can I go? I have a lot of deliveries to make."

"You're free to go," Snow informed him as he watched Fang carry the package into the house. "Be careful opening that. You have no idea what's inside, Fang."

"You should let us check it first," Agent Dellon protested as Fang began to pull at the strings. "We have to make sure that there are no bombs or—"

"It's not dangerous. It's a clue," Fang told him irritably as she pointed to the address written sloppily on the box, which read 'Yun Fang, c/o 3 NORA Agents Under One Roof' followed by Lightning's address. "Our bastard wants us to know just how clever and generous he is."

"That doesn't mean that it isn't something dangerous," Agent Dellon argued before taking a step backwards. "Everyone at least back away."

Fang ignored him, tearing the package open violently and beginning to remove the contents. Her breath quickened as she found a lock of pink curly hair that clearly belonged to Vanille. Some of the other contents included a photograph of an empty cell with cement walls and a single chair in the center, a strange piece of black crystal that shimmered in the light, and another note.

"What does it say, Fang?" Hope asked hoarsely.

"It says…" Fang took a deep breath before reading aloud. "_I took someone from you, but I'm going to give you a fair chance at getting her back. These are your clues. I would hurry. She might_—"

Fang paused, gritting her teeth.

"She might what?" Snow prompted nervously.

"It says she might bleed to death," Fang replied, her voice quivering with both fear and anger. "We've gotta find her _right now_! I want to know what kind of crystal this is and where a cell like this could be located."

"Here, let me take these." Agent Dellon walked forwards and took both of the clues into his hands. "I'll get back to headquarters right now and analyze these things. It shouldn't take me too long to figure out what kind of crystal this is. It looks rare."

"Wait. I know a specialist who can take a look at it," Snow interrupted, taking the crystal out of Agent Dellon's hand and snapping a picture of it with his PMC before handing it back to him. "I'm sure she could identify any crystal from a picture. She's been studying this kind of stuff her entire life."

"Should I go back to the lab and analyze it anyways?" Agent Dellon asked patiently.

"Yes." Snow nodded. "Find out where that picture could've been taken. We have to find Vanille as soon as possible. This is even more urgent now."

"Take the hair, too," Lightning suggested.

Everyone turned to look at her, eyes widening slightly, but she hesitated to offer an explanation.  
"What the hell for?" Fang demanded irritably.

"They can use it to check if it's really her hair," Snow interrupted, giving Lightning a very sharp look. "Fang, go get some hair out of Vanille's brush, too. They can compare them and make sure that this isn't another trap."

"That's a good idea," Fang mumbled as she turned and stomped quickly up the stairs.

When Fang left and everyone was still staring, Lightning offered quietly, "They can use the hair to tell whether or not it was cut off of someone who's still alive."

Serah gasped from the kitchen doorway, her hands covering her mouth. "Don't even suggest that, Claire. Vanille is alive!"

"It's been hours," Lightning argued

"Even if she had been…killed," Sazh interrupted with a frown, "it would take days before any evidence of that showed up in her hair. I read about it once."

"It's still a good idea to check if it's her hair at all," Agent Dellon interrupted quietly. "If it isn't, there could be another victim."

Fang suddenly came running back down the stairs with one of Vanille's hair brushes, which she shoved into Agent Dellon's hands. "Just take this. There isn't time to pluck any of the hairs out of the brush. We share sometimes, so some of mine might be in there…"

"It doesn't matter. They'll be able to tell the difference," Agent Dellon replied reassuringly. "We're going to find her, Agent Yun. I'll bet my career on it."

Fang nodded, but her expression was empty. Nothing would matter without Vanille. Everything that she had fought for her entire life would be worthless.

"I'll call you as soon as I know anything," Agent Dellon assured her before leaving the house.

Xxx

Vanille awoke with a start from a frightening dream. For a moment she did not remember where she was and expected to find herself lying in bed with Fang at her side. The truth of her situation was jarring. Her dizzy eyes traveled the dark cell around her. The dim shadows proved that the natural light was fading away.

A stinging pain in her leg reminded her that there was little chance of escape, but she was alive. That was something to celebrate.

"Wondering why you're not dead?"

Vanille jumped, though she immediately regretted it as a new wave of sharp pains traveled through her thigh. The pink-haired woman first took note of the black-clad man standing in the darkest corner of the room before she glanced down at herself. A towel had been wrapped several times around her bleeding leg.

"I-I thought you were gonna let me die," Vanille grumbled, trying to sound much braver than she felt. "What happened to your plan to give Fang and chance to find me and save me on her own?"

"My plan is still the same, but I realized that I needed more time. You were bleeding too much." He shook his head, sighing in a way that made her suspect he had rolled his eyes beneath his mask. "I guess I stabbed you a little deeper than I intended, but I need you to stay alive long enough for Fang to get close."

Vanille narrowed her eyes. "Get close?"

He nodded slowly. "I need it to look like she was only seconds too late to save you."

A shiver moved through the Gran Pulsian woman, but she was pleased that there would be more time for her to try to escape on her own. "You know, towels aren't like gauze. This'll just soak up the blood. After a while you'll have to replace it or I'll just bleed through."

"It's held so far, but you're right, I think I'll have to replace the towel soon. At this rate, I might have to actually work to keep you alive." He shook his head, sighing. "You're more trouble than you're worth. Maybe I'll just slit your throat now and get it over with."

Vanille felt a surge of panic and exclaimed, "But then you'll never get to see Fang's face when she realized she could've saved me if she'd gotten here a few seconds later. It's not like I care either way, since I'm gonna die anyway, but don't you wanna see her reaction?"

"Don't try to trick me, Vanille. I know you don't want to die." He shrugged apologetically. "I'm sorry I had to involve you in this, but I had to take away Fang's happy ending. None of the three of them deserve to live happily ever after. They took away my happy ending."

"What're you talking about?" Vanille furrowed her brows.

"You wouldn't understand. You have no idea what I'm referring to." He stepped away from the wall, staring at her through his mask. "I'll return in a few hours to end your misery. If you bleed out before then, there's nothing I can do, so hope that that towel actually stopped the bleeding instead of just absorbing the blood. I'm not going to bother checking."

Vanille pursed her lips nervously.

"Don't bother trying to get free either. If you get through this door, you'll only find a room filled with very big, very poisonous snakes."

"That's not fair," Vanille cried desperately. "There's no way I'll escape if there're snakes. They're so scary and dangerous."

He snorted before turning and leaving the room without another word.

"I've never had to deal with poisonous snakes before," Vanille grumbled to herself as she shifted uncomfortably in her seat, "But snakes don't scare me, so you're gonna lose after all."

Vanille waited for a while to make sure that her captor was not going to return before she tried to stand up so that she could wiggle her arms and try to loosen the ropes binding her. Unfortunately, her injured leg buckled beneath her, causing her to fall back on the wooden seat with a painful thud. Vanille tried to stand up several more times, because her hands were tied so awkwardly behind the back of the chair that she could think of no other way to achieve an angle at which she could wriggle her wrists around, but her efforts were to no avail and soon the increased red color of the towel led her to realize that her movements had aggravated her wound. Resting was not an option, but Vanille knew that she needed time to formulate a plan, so she sat back down and closed her eyes, thinking hard as she ignored the pain that made her want to give up and simply black out again.

"I guess there's only one way I can get out of this," Vanille murmured to herself, biting her lip nervously. "I'm gonna have to break this chair."

Vanille spent quite a while trying to decide how to break the chair before she finally determined that if she stood up quickly enough, she could lean against the table and break the leg of the chair with her uninjured leg. Once the leg of the chair was broken, she might be able to use her strong leg to break the back of the wooden chair as well. Her feet were bare, but she knew that if she set her mind to it, she could easily break the thin, weak wood. However, it would all take the right amount of adrenaline and the proper timing, so the Gran Pulsian spent a long time imagining herself facing a very violent death in hopes that she would be just riled enough for her plan to work.

A few deep breaths later, Vanille was prepared. She closed her eyes, indulged in the very comforting thought of seeing Fang again, and used her good leg to scoot her chair toward the table. The gesture took so much effort that she knew she would not have enough strength left to break the chair if she tried to actually reach the table against the wall, so she abandoned that part of her plan and stood up as awkwardly as she could. Balancing herself against her injured leg, Vanille lifted up her good leg and struck the closest leg of the wooden chair with such force that the wood splintered against her bare heel. She received a few pricks, but thankfully none of the shredded wood cut her skin.

Vanille tried to turn to the side quickly enough to fall against the table, but her injured leg collapsed beneath her and she fell backwards. Mid-air, Vanille managed to twist her body so that she would land on her side and she squeezed her eyes shut, begging any force she could think of not to allow her to break her arm as she fell. Her plan only partially succeeded. Vanille fell atop the chair at an angle, fearing that the snap of the back of the chair splitting down the middle might actually be her spine breaking. She bounced away from the broken chair with such force that she smacked the side of her face into the concrete. For a moment, she truly feared that her jaw was broken.

A few deep breaths later and the panic had mostly subsided. Her face hurt very badly and so did her awkwardly twisted arms, but nothing hurt as much as her injured leg, which felt as though it were being pried apart at the skin. The wound had either reopened or opened even more widely, the towel completely soaked with fresh blood. A burst of adrenaline was likely all that she would need to survive, but her body was too exhausted to muster any of the appropriate chemicals.

Vanille lay twisted uncomfortably as she tried to think of her next move. Although the chair had split, it had not broken completely. Her hands were still tightly bound behind her back, and she could not reach anything that might give her enough support to stand. Her head was beginning to ache and the new rush of blood to her thigh left her feeling lightheaded.

"Don't you pass out again, Vanille," the Gran Pulsian whispered angrily to herself, shaking her head as she hoped that she did not have a concussion. "You've gotta get up. You've gotta escape from here before he comes back."

Vanille knew that she had to escape for Fang, because her love would not want to live on without her. The younger woman could not put Fang through that kind of pain, but she felt _so_ weak.

Xxx

The Farron household was much in the same state it had been left. Fang was scouring the internet trying to figure out what kind of crystal she had found in the package and where it might be found, Serah was sipping nervously at a cup of tea, Hope was entertaining Dajh, and everyone else was pacing around, occasionally speaking to each other in hushed tones.

Lightning had finally finished her list, but she was marking everyone that she suspected had died.

The wild buzzing of a PMC filled the room, causing everyone to stiffen.

With a frown, Lightning picked up the offending device and answered. For several moments, she was completely silent, before she finally made a noise of agreement and hung up the PMC. She turned to the others with a frown. "There's an emergency."

"Another one?" Snow gasped incredulously.

Lightning gave a firm nod. "Agent Dellon tried to contact Agent Young a few more times. When no one could reach him, he sent an agent to check on him. The agent and her partner got a bad feeling when no one answered the door, so they broke into Agent Young's apartment. There's no sign of the agent and there's a crime scene. I'm going to go check it out."

"By yourself?" Serah gasped.

"No. I'm going with her," Fang replied sharply as she stood. "I'll die if I stay here much longer doing nothing."

"I should go with her," Snow argued, frowning at Fang. "You should stay here in case they find Vanille. You might need to go help her."

"Agent Dellon will call me if they find her or get any leads," Fang told him firmly, shaking her head. "I've gotta distract myself or I'll go mad. I don't wanna be useless by the time I find her, so let me investigate this."

Snow sighed, relenting with a nod. "Okay. Be careful."

Fang nodded. "Whatever happened in Agent Young's apartment might have something to do with this anyway. Maybe this nutcase stopped at our co-investigator's apartment this morning to make sure he couldn't interfere while he was doing the kidnapping."

"Be prepared for anything," Snow warned as the two of them walked toward the door. "We have no idea where this guy is or how many people might actually be working with him."

Fang gave a cold nod before turning to Lightning. "Let's go."

"I'll drive," Lightning muttered as she tugged her keys off of the hook and walked toward the door.

Xxx

Lightning parked her air car on the street in front of the apartment building and turned off the ignition. She turned to face Fang with a frown. "Will you be able to do this?"

"Don't ask stupid question," Fang grumbled, glaring at her. "I'm not useless. I can still investigate a crime scene."

"Maybe you should just go back to the house," Lightning suggested with a frown.

Fang scoffed, opening the car door and climbing out. "I'm already here, and I'm not gonna stay in the house like I'm helpless for a second longer. Vanille's relying on me. I know that hair was hers."

"They haven't tested it yet," Lightning argued.

"I just know it's hers," Fang grunted angrily. "Don't question it."

Lightning shrugged and motioned for Fang to follow her. "His apartment's on the third floor. Let's hurry up."

The trip in the elevator was painfully silent. There was no trace of humor in Fang's generally jubilant features. Even her tough façade had fallen away, leaving only emptiness reminiscent of the pretense that Lightning had had to put up for many years. It was disquieting.

The trip up the elevator was painfully silent. There was no trace of humor in Fang's generally jubilant features. Even her tough façade had fallen away, leaving only emptiness reminiscent of the façade that Lightning had put up for so many years. It was disquieting.

When the elevator dinged, Fang rushed out, her features fierce as she stomped away.

Lightning moved in front of Fang, heading to the appropriate apartment. She pushed the door open and flashed her badge at the agents guarding the place even though the recognized her. When they allowed her entrance, she moved out of the way so that Fang could enter.

"This place looks fine," Fang commented, trying to focus on anything but the worst things that could happen to Vanille.

"Look in the bathroom off of the bedroom," one of the agents suggested. "It's a mess."

Lightning and Fang followed the agent through the bedroom, which looked completely normal. The bathroom was a completely different story. The room was lit by the sunlight pouring through the window, but the scene was no less disturbing.

"Well, something definitely happened in here," Fang muttered seriously.

The bathroom was covered in bloody fingerprints and smudges with a few larger pools of blood on the floor and a large stain in the drain. Gauze bandages and peroxide had been set out on the counter, each bearing their own bloody handprint, and the shower curtain had been torn down as though someone had stumbled into the room and grasped at it for balance.

"Was there evidence of forced entry?" Lightning asked.

The agent shook his head, explaining, "The door was locked when the other two agents got here. They tried knocking first, and when they didn't hear anything from inside, they kicked the door open. Everything else is undisturbed, but when they saw this room, they feared the worst."

"It looks like someone hurt him pretty badly, but he must have treated it himself," Fang mumbled as she peeked out into the bedroom. "There's no blood anywhere else. How's that possible unless he was attacked in the bathroom?"

"There was some blood spatter on the floor near the front door," Lightning commented, frowning at Fang but musing that her friend must not have noticed because she was so distracted by Vanille's kidnapping.

"There's a small trail," the officer agreed. "We almost didn't notice at first. It looks like either someone tried to clean up the trail or Agent Young was able to get to the bathroom quickly enough that he didn't get any other blood on the floor."

"So, you don't have any idea where the agent is now?" Fang asked with narrowed eyes.

"None at all. We've been trying to contact him. We have all units on the lookout for him or any other injured man who might fit his description, but so far no one has found him." The agent took a step out of the bathroom and glanced out the window. "We have no idea why he would have treated himself instead of going to the hospital."

"It's possible he's been kidnapped too," Fang pointed out, trying to maintain her composure. "Are his car keys here?"

The agent shook his head. "We didn't find any keys in the house."

"What about his air car?"

"Also gone."

"So, what makes you think there was actually a crime here?" Fang grunted, irritated as though they were wasting her time. "It looks like he might've been hurt outside and come in to clean himself up, but there's no evidence the attack actually happened here. Maybe he went out to track down whoever injured him."

"We considered that, but no one has seen his air car all day. The neighbors claim that they never saw him leave." The agent shrugged, frowning. "The crime may not have happened here, but it's definitely a mystery and he disappeared without a trace."

"Well, unsolvable mysteries without clues are becoming our specialty," Fang muttered, shaking her head. "We have to go back and get in touch with Agent Dellon. There's nothing to help us here."

"There are clues," Lightning argued with a frown. "There's no blood in the hallway outside of the apartment. That means he didn't come from outside."

"So, what d'you suppose happened?" Fang asked with a frown. "He opened the door for someone who attacked him in the doorway, leading to some kind of bloody injury? Why isn't there more spatter out there?"

"That's what we were wondering," the on-scene agent interjected. "With the amount of blood in this bathroom, he was bleeding at least somewhat seriously. There isn't enough spatter for that kind of injury if someone hurt him in the doorway."

"Unless they used a weapon and left it in and he pulled it out when he got to the bathroom," Fang interrupted. "There are weapons that don't spatter if you leave them in."

Lightning listened to the two of them before mumbling, "Have some of the others canvas the building. I want to know if the neighbors saw or heard anything. If he opened the door, that means that he knew his attacker or didn't think they were a threat."

"It could have been a salesperson," the agent suggested. "Everyone trusts them."

"Find out," Lightning told him firmly. "Don't call us until you know."

"We'll work as fast as we can," the agent confirmed, glancing sympathetically at Fang. "Word kind of spread about what happened. I'm really sorry."

Fang averted her gaze, not wanting to discuss it with yet another person. "We'll be in touch."

"Yeah, us too."

Lightning waited until they were outside of the apartment with the door closed behind them before asking, "What do you really think happened in there?"

"I dunno. It's hard to tell." Fang shrugged. "We don't have time to worry about it."

"What if it's all related?" Lightning asked firmly. "It's too much of a coincidence for this to happen on the same day that this bastard decides to make war on us."

"I'm sure it's related, but there's no way of knowing what happened in there right now. The other agents will call us when they have information. Until then, we have to focus on finding Vanille," Fang snapped angrily. "The note said she might bleed to death, Light. It doesn't take long to bleed to death."

"That depends on the injury," Lightning reminded her. "We can't focus on finding Vanille if we don't have any leads. You're the one who said you needed something else to do."

Fang clenched her fists. "I _am_ gonna do something. I'm gonna go out and find her if I have to knock on every door in New Cocoon. I don't care how many hours or days it takes me. I'll talk to every single person living here if I have to. Someone has to know something. No one is this good."

Lightning sighed. "Where do you want to start?"

Fang opened her mouth to reply, but the ringing on her PMC interrupted. It was not a number that she recognized, so she answered hoping that Vanille had gotten a hold of a PMC and was calling to tell her where she had been taken.

"Hello?" Fang exclaimed desperately.

A recorded voice replied, repeating, "_Tick tock. Time is running out. Tick tock. Time is running out_."

Fang released a noise of frustration and tried to throw her phone on the ground, but Lightning grabbed her arm to stop her, grumbling, "Agent Dellon is going to call you when he knows something about Vanille, remember? Don't let the perp get to you. Being frustrated won't help Vanille."

"Nothing'll help Vanille until we have a damn lead, so let's go to Korrin and start looking," Fang grunted before turning and stomping toward the elevator.

Lightning nodded, feeling genuinely upset for her friend. She doubted that they would find any leads when every agent in troth had already struck out, but Fang had been right about one thing. There was no choice but to keep busy until they had something to go on.

When Lightning's PMC began to ring, she recognized Agent Dellon's number and put out her arm to stall Fang's footsteps as she answered. "What is it?"

"The crystal in the box is called at Demi Stone. It's a rare Gran Pulsian crystal," Agent Dellon explained hastily. "We've been harvesting it as a power source since Cocoon fell."

"Find out every single mine and factory where the Demi Stone is harvested and treated," Lightning snapped urgently. "Then send all the agents that you can to those locations."

"While I'm sending out agents, I'll try to narrow the search and call you back."

Xxx

"I think it's time for us to get going," Sazh exclaimed as he suddenly stood.

"What?!" Hope protested angrily. "I can't leave until I know Vanille is safe."

"Hope, we don't have a choice," Sazh argued with a frown. "They'll call us once they know that she's okay. I need to get you and Dajh to safety."

"You should listen to him, Hope. You can't help Vanille right now," Snow told him with a weary look. "I know you want to be there for her, but you have to let us handle this."

"You have to go back to school anyway," Serah added quietly, her hands clenching a teacup so hard that they were shaking. "You can't miss school."

Snow frowned and walked across the room to wrap his arm around his fiancée's shoulders. "Vanille is going to be okay, Serah. I know she is. We've gone through too much to lose someone now."

"Maybe that's the problem, Snow. We all went through so much that we never thought we'd have to deal with anything like this. This bad guy is normal. He's very strong and a good fighter, but he's a normal person. There's nothing magical or supernatural about him, but he managed to put our lives on hold and terrorize, and now he has Vanille!" Serah paused as tears filled her eyes. "I just can't take this anymore. We have to stop him."

"Yeah, _we_ have to," Hope agreed as he crossed the room and picked up the package that had been mailed to Fang. "He has to make a mistake sometime, right? Why would he send this anyway? It could have his fingerprints on it."

"It doesn't," Snow argued with a sigh. "We already checked for evidence."

Hope frowned glumly and leaned forwards to examine the package. He studied it for a long time, searching for anything the NORA agents could have missed, before his shoulders slumped. He turned away and walked back toward the others, but he suddenly frowned and glanced at his hand.

"Oh, gross. I got a hair on me."

"What?" Sazh asked with wide eyes.

"Ugh. I don't even know whose this is," Hope grumbled as he moved to brush it off of his hand.

"Wait!" Everyone shouted at the same time.

Hope jumped and froze in place, his eyes widening. "What?"

"Hope, what if that hair came from the attacker?" Serah gasped urgently. "Don't brush it off. We have to collect it as evidence."

Snow nodded firmly, standing up to gather the appropriate tools. "I'll have one of the agents stationed at the backdoor bring this to headquarters right away. Stay still, Hope. Let me pick up the hair."

"O-Okay." Hope watched curiously. "I hope it helps."

"I'm sure it will," Snow told him with a genuine smile. "We need evidence like this."

Hope smiled weakly. "I'm glad."

Xxx

Vanille twisted away from the broken chair with a grunt of pain. Her arm was badly bruised from her fall and throbbing with pain, not unlike her leg, which was alternating between intolerable aching and numbness. Knowing that she had to escape quickly, Vanille slid her arms up and down, using the splintered wood of the chair to cut at the ropes. The process was long and arduous, testing her already weakened stamina. The splinters scratched at the skin of her arms and poked her in the back, but she did not give up.

Minutes passed so slowly that it felt like it took hours to cut through only half of the ropes. By the time Vanille had finally freed herself, she was too tired to move. She rolled onto her back, ignoring the pain of some of the sharper pieces of wood pinching at her skin, and stretched her arms. Her muscles protested painfully as she moved them, but she did not give in to her body's desire to rest. There was too great a chance that she would lose consciousness again if she closed her eyes, so instead Vanille stared at the ceiling, which was stained and just as dirty as the floor. She wondered what could have possibly made such stains.

Eventually when so much time had passed that Vanille began to fear that her attacker would return to finish the job, the pink-haired woman crawled to the table and dragged herself off of the ground with such effort that her arms began to ache more persistently. Her injured leg shook beneath her whenever she tried to put weight on it, so Vanille bowed toward the table. She reached for her shirt, tugging it over her head with effort, and then held up her skirt and looked at it. Though she wanted to cover herself, it seemed more practical to use the skirt to supplement the towel in stopping the flow of blood from her legs. The towel was already beginning to bleed through, making itself partially useless, so Vanille tore the skirt as best she could and began to tie strips of fabric tightly around her leg, hoping that the throbbing wound would clot so that she might actually survive.

Once it was finished, Vanille pretended that she could not feel the terrible pain and wondered aloud, "So, how am I gonna walk? I hope they aren't really poisonous snakes."

Vanille turned toward the door and bent slightly, limping and using her hands to drag her injured leg forwards with every painful step. When she reached the door, she begged it to be unlocked as she turned the knob. The door opened without protest, so Vanille threw it open and limped outside. There was no one around and no snakes to speak of, so the attacker had been bluffing after all.

The Gran Pulsian paused for only a moment to study her surroundings. She found herself in what appeared to be a rather deep mine, the walls speckled with strange crystals that glowed in the darkness. There were no obstacles in her way other than rotting wooden tools that had been littered on the ground for quite some time. The air was so stale that Vanille could only assume she was deep underground. With no knowledge of how to escape, she pulled out her PMC, but she was disappointed to find that both her weapon and means of communication had been seized when her clothes were stripped away. Vanille sighed and looked both ways before begging the kind spirits to guide her and choosing a direction at random.

Every limp was followed by a grunt of pain and a haggard breath as Vanille dragged herself into the darkness. After a while, her body ached so terribly that she had to stop and lean against one of the walls. As a comfort, she whispered to herself, "Someone's gonna find you, Vanille. You're not gonna starve to death down here."

"You're right. Someone found you, but I don't think you'll be too happy."

Vanille felt a chill move up her spine and turned as best she could, an irritated frown coming over her pained features. "Why can't you just leave me alone? I escaped on my own. You should let me go. It's only fair."

"If you captured me and I escaped on my own, would you let me go?" The black-clad man asked slowly.

"I don't think I'd have any choice." Vanille glared at him. "I won't let you kill me."

"You don't have any choice about that either. You won't leave this tunnel alive."

"No. You're underestimating me," Vanille told him firmly. "I'm gonna fight you so hard you'll never know what hit you. I'm not weak like I look."

He merely shrugged. "I won't allow you to ruin my plans."

"What are your plans?" Vanille asked exasperatedly. "Maybe you can get what you want without hurting me. I can help you. I can negotiate."

"No. I have to hurt you now."

"No, you _don't_," Vanille protested, her eyes frantically searching the tunnel for anything that she could use as a weapon. "Please, don't do this."

"This is the way that things have to be."

Xxx

Fang was feeling discouraged as she lifted her hand to knock on what felt like the hundredth door, but she lowered her arm and turned around when Lightning's PMC began to ring.

Lightning glanced at the number on the screen before answering, "What do you have?"

"I have news, but I don't know if it's good or not," Agent Dellon exclaimed immediately. "I listed every single building where Demi Stones have ever been harvested, produced, or sold and sent out as many agents as I could. Most of the places are open during business hours, so we had the managers close down early. There was no trace of Vanille anywhere."

"How are you confused about whether or not that's good?" Lightning snapped angrily. "Do you have anything else?"

"I wasn't finished," Agent Dellon told her impatiently. "There's only one place left that no one investigated yet. There's an abandoned mine on the southern side of Korrin. It was closed down before they could finish digging down there because the area is too dangerous. No one would go down there now, so no one would've found someone if she was kidnapped and brought there."

"Send me the coordinates. We're on our way," Lightning exclaimed.

"Okay. Let me finish up and I'll meet you there."

"No. I don't need your help," Lightning cold him coldly.

He sighed wearily. "Lightning, I know we got off to a bad start, but let's put that behind us and be professional, okay?"

"I'm professionally telling you that I don't need your help."

Agent Dellon made an irritated noise. "I've really helped you today. You wouldn't be anywhere without me. If you don't want me there, fine, but at least let me send backup."

"We don't need it. By the time they get there, we'll have killed the bastard!" Lightning hung up her PMC and turned to face Fang who looked like she could not decide whether she should be hopeful or fear the worst. "There's only one place left she could be, according to Jake. Let's go."

Fang nodded numbly, trying to prepare herself for anything as they walked to the air car.

"We're going to find her," Lightning told Fang with certainty. "Alive."

"I know we will," Fang replied optimistically, though her voice lacked emotion. "If we don't, he's gonna pay for it like he's never paid for anything in his life."

Xxx

Serah watched out the window as Sazh packed the last of Dajh's things into his air car and slid into the front seat, checking in the mirror before pulling quickly out of the driveway and zooming down the street.

"It's good that they're leaving now," Serah whispered nervously.

Snow nodded, taking her gently by the arm and tugging her away from the window. "Don't stand over there like that. We don't know how many attackers there really are or if any of them might be nearby."

Serah nodded, smiling sadly and turning around to face him. She pressed into his arms, hugging him close, and whispered, "Do you think they're going to find Vanille? I can't stop thinking about what Lightning said about them using the hair to tell if she's still…a-alive."

"They have to find her," Snow told Serah gently as he ran his fingers through her hair.

"Captain Villiers?" One of the agents walked into the room.

Snow looked up from Serah, though he did not release her, still running his fingers through her long, silky hair. "What is it?"

"Agent Dellon found a lead that he already passed on to Agent Yun and Agent Farron, but I thought that you should know. According to Dellon, there's only one place left where Vanille could have been taken that relates to all of the clues. The other two agents are on their way there now."

Snow smiled widely, looking down at his fiancée. "See? Everything's going to be fine. They know where she is."

"That's great." Serah tried to force a smile but could not.

"What's wrong?" He frowned, pulling back to look at her.

"What if they're too late, Snow?" Serah whispered, not even wanting to say the words aloud. "Vanille and I have become really close, and I can't even begin to think about what that would be like for Fang. All she cares about was protecting Vanille. That was all she ever cared about. She only started working for NORA because she wanted to make enough money so that they could have their own house."

"Don't talk like this," Snow said gently, leaning forwards and pressing a gentle kiss to her lips. "They're going to find Vanille, and she is going to be completely fine. Okay? We have to believe that, Serah. We'll lose everything if we don't even have any faith."

"I guess you're right." Serah wiped her eyes and pulled away, wanting to be strong. "Sazh said that he'll call us the second he has the boys safely at Hope's house, so I'm going to go wait by the phone."

"I'll come with you," Snow told her with a smile, wrapping his arm around her and squeezing her gently. "Neither of us has to go through anything alone anymore, remember?"

Serah smiled faintly at that. "I can't wait until this is over so I can marry you."

He offered a weak grin. "Me either."

Xxx

"This is the way things have to be." The masked man took a step forwards, removing Vanille's knife from the pocket of his hoodie. "I'm sorry."

"You're not sorry, so stop saying you are!" Vanille cried angrily, taking a painful step backwards and scanning the area.

The tunnel was filled with an array of blunt and sharp objects that could be used as weapons. There were pick-axes, wooden beams, rusted crowbars, and many other kinds of tools. The walls were also littered with crystals that looked sharp enough to seriously injure someone. Unfortunately, nothing was close enough to Vanille that she could reach for it before he attacked her.

The man in the black hoodie gave her only a moment to collect herself before he began walking slowly toward her. He dropped into a skilled stance, wielding the knife like an extension of his own arm, and suddenly lunged at her.

Vanille gasped in surprise and adrenaline surged through her. Her leg suddenly stopped hurting as she dived sideways and landed on top of a pile of crystals. The sharp edges should have cut her, but she did not feel a thing at all as she rolled out of the way of another attack."

"Stay still!" The hooded-man shouted furiously. "There is no escaping from me. Struggling is useless!"

As Vanille rolled out of the way of another attack, she reached for a splintered piece of wood and tore it off of the ground with strength that she did not have. The Gran Pulsian woman dragged herself to her feet and stumbled backwards, eyes searching for anything else that might serve as a better weapon.

"Do you really think your weapon—if a block of wood can be called that—can stop a knife?" He snorted in amusement.

"Why not?" Vanille glared coldly. "Mine's bigger than yours."

He gave a sardonic snicker. "That came straight out of Yun Fang's mouth."

"Well, we spend a lot of time together," Vanille exclaimed fiercely as she took another step away from him.

"Do you really want to fight me? It will hurt more than simply allowing me to kill you with one quick blow."

"I'd never _let_ someone kill me!"

"Have it your way."

Xxx

Lightning pulled onto the side of the road with such speed that she almost flipped the air car as she landed and turned off the engine. She barely got her seatbelt off before jumping out. "We're here. Let's go."

"Where's the entrance?" Fang demanded, brandishing her staff as she also jumped out.

"Over there, according to the map I downloaded," Lightning replied briskly as she led the way to a small cave which had been dug into the ground. When she spotted the creaking wooden staircase leading into dark shadows, she muttered, "This looks unsafe."

"I don't have time to worry about that," Fang grumbled as she nudged Lightning out of the way and raced down the steps into the darkness.

Lightning gave a solemn nod and glanced over her shoulder once to make sure no one had followed them before she moved down the stairs after Fang. The wood creaked with protest beneath her feet, but her steps were light and quick enough that she could avoid putting too much pressure on the old pieces of wood. Lightning reached the bottom of the stairs with only enough time to see Fang disappear down one of the tunnels, her footsteps nearly silent. It was clear that she had begun to hunt, prepared for any beasts that might attack them as well as the one that had taken Vanille. Getting in her way would only cause unnecessary quarrels and life-threatening distractions, so Lightning followed quickly behind and remained silent.

"Do you have blueprints for this place?" Fang asked quietly. "There're tunnels branching out in all directions. We can't just search them all."

Lightning nodded, tugging out her PMC and viewing the most recent message from Agent Dellon. Her eyes scanned the map before she pointed. "We should go down this tunnel. This is the only area where there would be any rooms that could've been turned into a cell."

Fang gave a nod and quickly memorized the map before she turned and crept quickly away. The tunnel stretched out in front of her was narrow and almost pitch black, making it impossible to see what was in front of her face, but Fang knew that her eyes would adjust soon. No matter how quietly she and Lightning walked, their footsteps seemed to echo, warning anyone in the cavern that they were on their way. Fang strained her ears for anything that sounded suspicious, assuming the bad guy would attempt to escape when he heard them.

"Wait!" Fang suddenly gasped, freezing as she listened carefully. "I hear something."

"What?" Lightning asked as she held her gunblade ready.

"It sounds like some kind of struggle," Fang replied urgently, her eyes narrowed. "We've gotta hurry."

"You don't know what it is," Lightning protested.

"It could be Vanille, and if she's fighting, then she needs my help," Fang replied fiercely as she turned and sprinted down the tunnel.

Lightning picked up her pace and followed quickly, hoping that it was actually Vanille.

Xxx

"Did you really think you stood a chance against me?" The masked man's laughter filled the cavern as his hands clapped on either side of the splintered wooden beam and began to tear it out of her grasp.

Vanille held on as tightly as she could, unwilling to lose her weapon because she knew that he would stab her for a second time, perhaps more fatally. "Let go! It's not fair not to let me have a weapon."

"Life isn't fair!"

He shoved the wooden beam downwards, snapping it in half, and Vanille had no choice but to bow forwards, opening herself to attack. The masked man immediately smacked her across the face, causing her already badly bruised cheek to erupt with pain. Vanille had never felt so angry and frightened. With a new burst of strength, she used the broken wooden beam to pull her attacker closer before lifting her good leg and slamming it down into the stab wound on his left leg. The attacker shouted in surprise, releasing his grip on the wood, and staggered backwards. Vanille staggered as well, her injured leg screaming with protest, but there was no time to waste. She pushed forwards and held up the broken beam before using it to smack her attacker across the side of the head, batting with all her strength.

There was no grunt of pain as he collapsed sideways, landing on his face on the ground.

Vanille gasped as she watched him for a moment. When he did not move, she realized that he was unconscious. She immediately dropped the wooden beam on the ground and turned away. It might be better to try to capture him and end the madness, but she could not risk the fact that he might be faking, so she turned and began to run. Her body was still buzzing, nerves completely over-stimulated, so she could not feel a thing.

For a while there was silence, but then rapid footsteps behind her caused her to panic as she realized the attacker must have been pretending after all. Vanille was no longer holding a weapon, and she considered stopping to look for something else but ultimately decided it would be a waste of time.

"Fang, where are you?" Vanille whispered desperately as she pushed herself to run faster.

The adrenaline was wearing off and her leg suddenly began to ache. It was dull at first, but the pain grew so rapidly that soon the world was spinning. Vanille collapsed suddenly on the ground, crying out in pain and rolling onto her back. She attempted to sit up and clutch at her leg, but it was all simply too much. The battle had taken its toll on her.

With a weak sigh, Vanille closed her eyes and tried to breathe. The footsteps nearby were no longer running. They were tentative with practiced silence.

Vanille opened her eyes, her mind suddenly bursting with hope. Her vision was spinning, but she knew it must be Fang. The attacker would not slow down when he found her. He would taunt her and laugh, and then he would kill her.

Though she was too dizzy and exhausted to really understand her surroundings, Vanille realized immediately that it was not Fang. It was a figure clad in darkness, face concealed, who crouched over her.

Vanille shook her head, trying to struggle, but she could not move.

Xxx

Fang whirled around the corner and stopped dead in her tracks, her shoulders falling with disappointment. The noises of struggle were nothing but the distorted echoes of two wild dogs fighting over an animal carcass.

Lighting came around the corner behind her and frowned. "We have to keep moving."

"We've gotta get past these dogs first," Fang mumbled emotionlessly, trying to sound calm. "I'll take care of them."

The ex-soldier nodded and watched with interest as Fang walked fearlessly up to the dogs. The wild animals jumped backwards, their tails standing straight up as they bore their teeth and growled loudly. Fang towered above them, releasing a low, animalistic growl from her throat. She lifted her staff above her head and brought it down fiercely, cracking the skull of the animal carcass. The skull of the dead creature snapped loudly, and the wild dogs did not need any more convincing as they raced away, disappearing down the tunnel.

Lightning walked forwards, "I'll lead this time. I'm the one with the gun."

"Not like that'll help down here," Fang commented, her gaze cutting through the darkness. "Can you even see?"

Lightning nodded as she turned to lead her friend down the long tunnel. Several twists later, they emerged into a much larger tunnel with walls lined with crystals that seemed to glow in the shadows. There were rooms with large entrances lining the halls, their contents mostly rotting wooden tools and rusted metal ones.

"The stuff here looks pretty old for being closed down recently," Fang mumbled.

Lightning made a noise of agreement and pointed. "There's a room down there with the door closed."

Fang nodded, eyes wide, and hurried past Lightning. She quieted her steps. "Approach real slowly. If he's in there with her, I don't want him to know we're outside."

With a nod, Lightning erased the sound of her own feet and followed.

Fang moved close to the tall metal door, which was stained and rusted, and pressed her ear to it, listening for any sounds of danger. Then she leaned back and glanced at Lightning, giving a nod. When they were both prepared, weapons ready, Fang placed her fingers on the handle and slowly turned it, hoping it would not creak. She pulled the door open and dove inside, but she was simultaneously surprised, disappointed, and very angry.

The room was completely empty except for a small table in the center with a piece of paper on top of it.

"This isn't the same room," Fang nearly growled.

"There aren't any other rooms here," Lightning pointed out with a frown.

Fang stomped forwards and tore the piece of paper off of the table. When she was finished reading it, she threw it on the ground and released a shout of fury, slamming her staff onto the table with such force that it split in half.

Lightning picked up the paper and read it carefully.

_You fell for it. Too bad. By now she definitely bled to death._

Fang almost began to hyperventilate, but she steeled herself, turning to face Lightning with a cold glare. "Call Agent Dellon right now. There's gotta be somewhere else the perp could've brought her."

Lightning nodded, reaching for her PMC. She had not even opened the device when it began to ring. "Hello? What? We'll be right there."

"What is it?" Fang demanded as Lightning hung up.

The ex-soldier turned to face her with a grave frown. "They found Vanille."

Xxx

Agent Dellon hung up his PMC and checked the time before he moved slowly toward the upscale apartment building. He dragged himself through the door, ignoring the way that the man behind the front desk eyed him suspiciously as he walked to the elevator. Generally, he would take the stairs, but in his current state he thought it would be better to give himself a break.

As the elevator doors opened, Agent Dellon whistled a cheerful tune and walked slowly down the hall. He paused in front of the appropriate door, lifting his hand to knock and bracing himself against his right leg.

The door opened and a middle-aged woman with grey hair poked her head out. She looked him up and down with a frown.

"Hi, mom." He smiled cheerfully. "Can I come in?"

"Not before you tell me why you need my help," Doctor Andrea Dellon replied, crossing her arms stubbornly. "I thought you wanted to turn your life around, then you call me telling me you need me to treat an injury. Why can't you go to the hospital?"

"I don't want them to find out at work," Agent Dellon insisted with a reassuring look. "It's not a serious injury. It's just a little thing. I'd be embarrassed."

Andrea Dellon tugged the door open, shaking her head. "Being stabbed is _not_ a little thing. Did you treat it yourself?"

He nodded, glancing down with a frown. "The knife didn't go in very far. I used some disinfectant and bandaged it up, but I want you to take a look at it. The last thing I need is an infection. I don't know how clean the knife was."

"Are you involved with those bad people again?" Andrea demanded harshly. "I won't help you if you are. I thought that part of your life was behind you."

"It is, mother. This is nothing to worry about."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

AN: Here is the seventh installment of Crimes of Passion. I hope you like it! :)

Disclaimer: FFXIII characters and plot belong to Square Enix. Everything else is mine.

_You fell for it. Too bad. By now she definitely bled to death._

Fang almost began to hyperventilate, but she steeled herself, turning to face Lightning with a cold glare. "Call Agent Dellon right now. There's gotta be somewhere else the perp could've brought her."

Lightning nodded, reaching for her PMC. She had not even opened the device when it began to ring. "Hello? What? We'll be right there."

"What is it?" Fang demanded as Lightning hung up.

The ex-soldier turned to face her with a grave frown. "They found Vanille."

Fang inhaled sharply. "Is she—?"

"She's in the hospital, the ER," Lightning explained hastily, furrowing her brows. "Agent Dellon said she was stabbed, but she's alive."

"Stabbed?" Fang gritted her teeth. "I'm gonna kill that bastard."

"I'll drop you off at the hospital," Lightning exclaimed as she turned to walk back toward the entrance to the mine. "Then I'll check on the others at the house."

Fang nodded and followed quickly behind. The fact that Vanille was alive would not relieve her until she knew that the other woman would recover. She quickened her pace, surpassing Lightning and ignoring the dangerous conditions of the mine as she raced toward the exit. Even if she was in a dangerous area, she had to reach Vanille as quickly as possible and see that she was all right with her own eyes. Otherwise, it could be yet another trick.

The trip to the hospital was silent other than Fang anxiously tapping her foot against the floor of the air car. Lightning sat with a stony expression on her face. It was difficult to know what she was thinking, but Fang mused that she must be equally as frustrated that they still had not captured the bad guy. There were other lives at stake, including Serah and Lightning's mystery lover, if that person even truly did exist.

"We're here," Lightning grumbled eventually as she pulled over on the sidewalk next to the hospital.

Fang threw the door open and climbed out, not even stopping as she shouted over her shoulder, "Call me if you get more information."

Lightning watched her go before sliding across the seat to pull Fang's door closed and driving quickly away.

Still feeling very worried, Fang tore open the hospital doors and stormed up to the front desk. When she saw that the receptionist was busy, she tapped her fingers impatiently against the counter until the woman looked up at her with a frown.

"Can I help you, miss?"

"I'm here to see Dia Vanille. She was just brought here," Fang exclaimed gruffly, eyes narrowed. "Where is she?"

The receptionist pursed her lips, clearly not appreciating Fang's tone, and typed the name into the tablet on the table in front of her. "I'm looking in the D-section, but I don't seem to have anyone by that name."

"Try Vanille first. Vanille Dia."

She resumed typing and then nodded. "Ah, here we are. Vanille Dia. She was just brought in twenty minutes ago. I'm afraid she is still in the emergency room. You can't see her right now."

"What?" Fang gritted her teeth. "Why the hell not?"

The receptionist seemed to jump. "Please don't make me call security. I'm sure you're worried about your friend, but she's in the emergency room. That means that they're still trying to stabilize her condition. If I let you go in there, there would be nothing you could do but distract the doctors and stop them from helping her."

Fang sighed, trying to calm down. "Where do I wait?"

"In that room right over there." The receptionist sighed with relief as she pointed to the waiting room across the hall. "Are you a blood relative?"

"No." Fang shook her head.

"Oh." The receptionist frowned. "Then I'm afraid you won't be able to see her until the doctor states otherwise. Only blood relatives will be allowed to see her. That's standard hospital procedure."

Fang narrowed her eyes. "Vanille doesn't have any blood relatives. They're all dead. Besides, I'm family. She and I are together."

"You are?" The receptionist glanced around to make sure no one was paying attention and leaned forwards. "Usually they don't even let boyfriends or girlfriends in, but if we were to tell them you were her fiancée…"

"If that's what it takes, put that on the chart," Fang exclaimed, grateful for the tip. "I'm going into the waiting room now. Someone'll tell me when I can see her, right?"

"You'll know the moment she's moved to the care unit. The doctors are doing everything they can right now."

Fang nodded and turned to cross the hall and force herself to sit down in one of the uncomfortable chairs. All she really wanted to do was pace back and forth or go hunting for a bastard that was going to be very sorry, but Vanille would need her to be there the moment she was allowed to see anyone.

Xxx

A long time passed and Fang was still sitting in the waiting room, her foot tapping anxiously on the ground. Every few moments, she glanced at the clock. It had been over an hour since she had arrived and she had still not heard anything. She had never been to a hospital before, so she did not know if that was a good or bad sign. Although she was also grateful that there was advanced medical treatment available, she could not help but think that the village medicine man would have let her see Vanille while he was working so she could hold her hand and tell her everything was going to be okay.

"Fang Yun?"

Fang nearly jumped out of her seat. "That's me."

"Come this way. Vanille Dia has been moved into the care unit. You can see her now."

With an eager nod, Fang walked toward the door. The attendant rushed to walk in front of her and turned several corners before pausing in front of an open door and motioning Fang inside.

Fang was so relieved to see that Vanille was alive that for a moment she could not even move. The pink-haired woman lay on top of the hospital bed, dressed in a medical gown and covered in blankets. Her head was resting against the pillow and she looked so exhausted. A doctor stood at the side of her bed having a calm conversation with her, and Vanille nodded her head every few moments. It was clear that she was still frightened, but she looked relieved to be somewhere safe.

The doctor looked up and noticed Fang in the doorway. He glanced down at his tablet, searching Vanille's file to check if there were family members or others allowed to visit. Then he motioned Fang inside. "Miss Dia, it looks like you have a visitor."

Vanille turned her head hopefully and smiled, tears of relief filling her eyes. "Fang!"

Fang immediately crossed the room, sitting on the side of the bed and wrapping her arms delicately around Vanille's shoulders because she did not know exactly where she might be injured and did not want to hurt her. She pulled her close, kissing the top of her head and burying her face in her hair. "Vanille, I was so worried."

Vanille lifted her arms to weakly hug her. "I was so scared, Fang."

"I'm never gonna let anything like that happen to you again," Fang promised emotionally, hugging her close.

The doctor smiled faintly. "I was just explaining the situation. Miss Dia, I'll need your permission to share this information while there's another person here."

Vanille nodded firmly. "I want Fang to know everything. She's gonna be the one taking care of me once I go home."

"You've got that right," Fang told her with a gentle smile, kissing her cheek.

"Very well." The doctor smiled again before sobering a bit. "Miss Dia is a very lucky woman, Miss Yun. The wound was a clean cut that missed her major arteries. It is still a severe injury, but we were able to stop the bleeding and close the wound with stitches. There are no signs of infection. I think she should have a healthy recovery."

Fang exhaled slowly, very relieved, and turned to look at the doctor, though one arm remained protectively around Vanille. "How long d'you think she'll need to heal?"

"That depends on her immune system and how much care she receives at home," the doctor explained. "It could take between six and eight weeks. During that time, Miss Dia, you will need to use crutches until you can walk on your own again. You will also need physical therapy to help you walk properly as you heal. You'll want to take it easy for a while, but if you overcompensate for your injury, you will do more harm than good. Do you have a regular physician?"

"Physician?" Vanille asked with a frown.

"A doctor that you see regularly?"

Vanille shook her head.

"Then I will refer you to one," the doctor replied as he made a note on his tablet. "You will want regular checkups to make sure that your wound is healing properly and does not become infected. You may also need someone to coordinate physical therapy and any other services you might require."

"Okay," Vanille murmured nervously, looking at Fang.

Fang smiled reassuringly, knowing that Vanille needed her to be calm and collected even though she felt just as worried as her love. "How long does she have to stay in the hospital?"

"I want to keep her overnight for observation," the doctor replied. "The wound was not as serious as it seemed, but it was left bleeding and untreated for a very long time. We need to make sure that there is no other damage and that we have not missed anything."

"Why didn't it stop bleeding?" Fang asked with a frown.

"We believe Miss Dia must have reopened the wound several times in her struggles to escape from her attacker," the doctor replied, lowering his voice sensitively because Vanille was sitting right there. "I really do think she will be just fine, but we must keep her here as a precaution."

Fang nodded, smiling gratefully. "Thanks for all your help."

"I'm just doing my job," he replied humbly, though he smiled in appreciation. "As for your treatment, Miss Dia, I am going to prescribe you two different types of medications. The first will relieve your pain and the second is an anti-inflammatory."

Vanille looked confused but nodded.

"The pain medication is highly addictive, so I will only have you take it during the first week. By then you should be able to switch to a non-prescription medication, but that is something you can discuss with your physician. During the healing process, you will likely experience soreness and limited mobility. You will definitely need physical therapy, and there is muscle and tissue damage that will need to heal before you can walk without crutches. You will have to be careful not do anything too strenuous during the next few weeks or you risk further damage."

"She won't be doing anything strenuous," Fang assured him as she squeezed Vanille's hand gently. "I'll make sure she gets all the care she needs at home."

The doctor nodded, pleased.

"Fang, you're gonna have to go back to work eventually," Vanille protested with a smile. "Serah goes back this week, too. Maybe Sazh can take care of me."

Fang shook her head, smiling faintly. "No. I can take time off from work, and when all this is over, I'm thinking about a career change anyway, but we can talk about that later. Nothing else matters to me until you're all better."

Vanille smiled faintly, leaning to the side and resting against Fang's shoulder.

"I'll leave the two of you alone now. Miss Dia, make sure that you get a lot of rest, and if you need anything, press the red button and a nurse will come check on you."

"Okay. Thank you." Vanille smiled gratefully, though her features were still exhausted.

He gave a modest nod and turned to leave the room.

"I'm so glad you're here, Fang" Vanille murmured exhaustedly as she rested her cheek against Fang's shoulder and closed her eyes. "I was really scared, but you'd be so proud of me. I fought really hard."

"I _am_ proud of you," Fang told her emotionally, wrapping her arm around her shoulders and pulling her gently close. "You got away on your own."

Vanille furrowed her brows and shook her head. "I don't think I did, Fang. I dunno how I got to the hospital. The last thing I remember is knocking down the bad guy and running away. Then I collapsed. I was getting really dizzy. While I was passing out, I remember this person finding me. I thought it was the bad guy, but whoever it was must've brought me to the hospital…"

Fang frowned faintly, but hugged her close. "Well, we can look into that later. All that's important now is you're here and you're okay. Are there any other injuries I should know about?"

"Just some bruises and scratches," Vanille replied with a sigh, nuzzling against her chest. "I'm really sleepy, Fang. Maybe I should rest and you should go back to the house and check on everyone."

Fang shook her head. "Don't be silly. I'm never leaving you alone again."

"You can't stay all night, Fang," Vanille giggled weakly. "They'll make you leave."

"Let 'em try," Fang replied with a grin, kissing her cheek. "I'm not leaving here until I can take you with me."

Vanille smiled and snuggled into her arms. "I'm really tired."

"Rest," Fang told her gently, shifting so that she could sit more comfortably on the bed and wrapping her other arm around Vanille. She rested her cheek against the top of her head, running her fingers slowly through her hair. "I'm really never gonna let anything like this happen again."

"It's not your fault, Fang," Vanille assured her sleepily. "They had it all planned out so you'd be the only one left in the house. If I'd been paying more attention, I would've figured there was someone upstairs too."

Fang shook her head, kissing Vanille's temple. "Either way, I'm gonna protect you from now on. This was…way too close."

Vanille turned to face her with great effort and smiled cheerfully. "I'm okay now, Fang."

"I know." Fang smiled weakly and leaned down to kiss her lips as the anxious knot in her chest finally broke. She kissed her again before pulling away. "Rest now. I've got you."

The younger woman grinned and turned again, pressing her cheek against Fang's chest and shifting with effort. Her body felt very weak in spite of the way that the strong medications had numbed her pain.

As Vanille began to relax against her, Fang took a deep breath and stared at the wall. There had been very few times in her life when she had been as frightened as she had felt during the last day. She truly could have lost Vanille, and not to some monster in the woods or some powerful being, but rather to some nutcase with no special abilities whatsoever. Vanille would need to relax during the next few weeks, which meant that they would have no choice but to capture their attacker immediately.

"Fang?" Vanille asked suddenly.

"Yeah?" Fang forced a smile and looked down at her. "D'you need something? I can get the nurse."

Vanille shook her head, frowning. "He's got the knife you gave me. I stabbed him with it, then he stabbed me. I got him pretty bad in the thigh. He was limping."

Fang's eyes widened. "We can use that to identify him."

"I know." Vanille smiled weakly and closed her eyes. "Make sure you tell the others."

Fang kissed the top of her head. "We'll let them know first thing tomorrow."

Vanille gave a nod and pressed against her, beginning to fall asleep.

Xxx

Fang pulled the air car into the driveway and stopped for a moment, glancing out the window with a frown. "The driveway looks kind of icy. Are you sure you don't want me to carry you?"

Vanille shook her head, smiling faintly. "I'll be okay if you just walk with me."

"All right." Fang removed the keys from the ignition and moved to open the door.

"Wait," Vanille gasped, biting her lip. "It is safe here?"

"It's safe now," Fang assured her, pointing out the window. "See that agent over there? There are five more posted outside the house and four inside. Snow's got the whole house protected."

"Okay." Vanille smiled nervously.

Fang opened her door and climbed outside before walking around the side of the air car and opening the back. She took out Vanille's crutches and shut the door before opening the front passenger and helping Vanille out. The younger woman took the crutches under her arms and took a tentative step forwards, adjusting to the thin sheet of snow on the driveway.

"How's it feel?" Fang asked with a frown.

"Okay for now," Vanille replied with a weak smile as she took another step forwards.

Fang shut the door and locked the car before moving next to Vanille and watching her carefully. "Is it weird walking on those things? People used to use sticks sometimes when they were hurt in Oerba, but I never hurt one of my legs, so I never had to use them."

"They feel weird," Vanille admitted, shifting as she paused. "It kinda hurts under my arms, too."

"Once we get inside, I'll just carry you everywhere," Fang promised.

Vanille shook her head, giggling. "Fang, I've gotta be able to get around on my own."

"Fine." Fang pouted. "I just wanna help."

The younger woman laughed lightly as she treaded carefully toward the house, moving much more slowly than usual and feeling discomfort in her leg in spite of the pain medication. She sighed with relief when they reached the front door, because she knew that she could take a break once they were inside of the house.

"Here we go." Fang unlocked the door and pulled it open before placing her hand on the small of Vanille's back. "Can you get up over the step?"

"Yeah, I can get inside." Vanille moved carefully over the step and into the house, where she paused and frowned thoughtfully. "I've gotta sit down to get my boots off, but I don't wanna get mud on the carpet."

"It's fine," Lightning said from across the room.

Vanille looked up with a start and realized that everyone was crowded into the living room waiting for her. Biting her lip awkwardly, she exclaimed, "Hi."

"Vanille, I'm so glad you're okay!" Serah gasped, standing up and looking unsure whether embracing her would hurt her or not. "Is your leg all right?"

"I'm okay," Vanille assured her gently. Then her eyes widened with worry. "Where're Hope and Dajh?"

"I brought them to Hope's house last night to get them away from this. We can see them again when this is over," Sazh assured her gently, standing from his seat. "Why don't you come over here and sit down?"

Vanille glanced at Lightning. "Are you sure it's okay?"

"I said it's fine," Lightning replied with a frown.

"Okay." Vanille moved across the room very slowly, still getting used to using the crutches, and tried to ease herself down onto the couch. She fell too quickly and squeaked with pain, but when everyone looked frightened for her, she forced a smile. "Sorry. I'm okay."

Fang sat down on the couch next to her and stooped down to untie her laces. "I'll get these off for you."

Vanille smiled gratefully before glancing at the others. Everyone was staring at her, waiting for something. With a small grin, she promised, "I'm really gonna be okay. The doctor said I just need some time to recover and some therapy and I'll be able to walk again fine."

"We're all just really glad you're okay," Snow told Vanille with a sincere smile. "I think I can speak for all of us when I say, 'Welcome home.'"

Vanille grinned warmly. "Thanks, everyone. I'm really glad to be here. I just wanna go lie down for a while."

"Of course," Serah exclaimed, nodding encouragingly. "You should rest."

Fang walked across the room to set Vanille's boots by the door before she returned to the couch and watched carefully as Vanille used the crutches to pull herself off of the couch. "I'll walk with you."

Vanille smiled appreciatively and began a slow migration toward the stairs. Each step seemed to prove a new challenge to her, but she moved with determination, not wanting to give up and ask Fang to carry her because she knew that she would have to get used to the crutches. When she reached the second floor, she stopped in surprise, her eyes widening. There was a man waiting there, but he was a NORA agent.

"It's okay, Vanille," Fang murmured as she came up behind her. "He's one of the agents Snow posted around the house."

Vanille sighed with relief and smiled at the agent, who gave her a nod of affirmation, before she turned and began to struggle up the attic stairs.

Fang noticed that both Lightning and Serah were following her up the stairs and furrowed her brows. "Do you need something?"

"I need to talk to you," Lightning replied with a frown.

"It can wait until later," Fang told her with narrowed eyes.

"No, it can't."

Vanille reached the door to the guest room in the attic and turned around with a frown, clearly not wanting to open the door without Fang standing right beside her. She knew that the chances that anyone had gotten into the house while they were gone were slim now that there were so many agents around, but she could not shake the fear. If the attacker kidnapped her again, it was unlikely that she would escape a second time.

Fang strode forwards and pulled the door open, walking inside the room and looking around. She opened up the armoire to one side of the room, crouched down to look under the bed, glanced behind a rack of clothing hanging on the far side of the room, and poked her head into the bathroom. When she turned on the bathroom lights, she walked to the shower and pulled the curtain aside.

There was no one around, so she walked back into the bedroom and smiled reassuringly at Vanille, who was standing nervously in the doorway. "The room's clear. We're all alone."

"Almost all alone," Vanille commented with a faint smile, nodding over her shoulder to where Lightning was still waiting impatiently.

Fang frowned, motioning for Vanille to come into the room. Then she walked to the door and said, "Whatever you've got to tell me better be important."

"Why don't you two talk in the hallway?" Serah asked gently. "There's no one up here, so I can stay with Vanille for a second."

Fang narrowed her eyes.

Serah lowered her voice. "We just don't want to stress her out."

"Whatever you tell me, I'm just gonna tell her afterwards," Fang informed them.

"We know, but let's just let her rest for a second," Serah suggested with a frown. "She's been through enough."

Fang sighed and glanced over her shoulder at Vanille. "Do you need help getting on the bed?"

"I don't think so," Vanille replied as she sat down very slowly and rested her crutches against the bed frame.

"Then I'll be back in two minutes," Fang promised as she turned and walked out the door.

Once Serah was inside of the bedroom and the door was shut, Fang crossed her arms and looked expectantly at Lightning.

"What did Vanille say about what happened?" Lightning asked cautiously. "Where did she last see the attacker?"

"She didn't say much. Just that she knocked the guy down and ran away, then someone else found her. She thought it was the attacker again, but she passed out before she could figure it out. Then she woke up in the ER."

Lightning furrowed her brows. "After she was admitted to the hospital, Snow ordered all the agents on duty who weren't working on high priority cases to investigate all of the mines again."

"And?" Fang prompted, frowning. "What'd they find?"

"A group of our agents found an unconscious man in a black hoodie. He was wearing a mask. He had been knocked out with something pretty heavy. He has a concussion."

Fang's eyes widened. "You caught the guy?"

"It looks that way." Lightning narrowed her eyes. "But there's a problem. When we pulled off the mask, it was Agent Young."

"What?" Fang stiffened. "How's that possible? He's been helping us this entire time."

"He says that it's a mistake and he's being framed," Lightning explained. "That's why I need to know exactly what happened while Vanille was fighting that guy."

"She stabbed him in the thigh," Fang exclaimed. "She said he was hurt badly, limping. I dunno how bad she hit him when she knocked him down, but I'll ask her."

Lightning frowned, her lips pursing tightly. "Agent Young has a pretty serious stab wound on his left thigh."

"Did you compare the blood sample?"

"It should be done by this afternoon," Lightning replied gravely. "Hope found a hair sample, too. We should have all the results in a few hours."

Fang nodded, sighing. "I don't want it to be him 'cause we trusted him, but at the same time, I'd like it if this was over."

Lightning nodded in agreement. "Is Vanille really all right?"

"She's hurt pretty badly, but she'll recover," Fang replied honestly, closing her eyes. "I'm just glad she's alive."

The ex-soldier looked sympathetic for a moment before she steeled her expression and turned away. "I'll keep you posted."

"Thanks." Fang turned toward the bedroom and opened the door.

Vanille jumped, startled, but sighed with relief when she saw that it was Fang.

"I'm really glad you're okay, Vanille," Serah repeated again as she stood up and moved to walk out of the room. "See you later. I'll make you something really good for dinner."

Xxx

Vanille lifted a spoonful of ice cream into her mouth and swallowed before grumbling, "This lady's so stupid, Fang. Why can't she see she should date the other guy instead?"

Fang laughed lightly, glancing at the television. "Maybe I shouldn't have brought this thing up here. You're getting all riled up."

"I just think she's taking the other guy for granted. He's so nice to her," Vanille murmured, smiling faintly up at her. "I like the ice cream though. Thanks for getting it for me."

"Don't mention it," Fang replied with a smile, leaning to the side to kiss her cheek. "I'll get you anything you want. I'll need at least a week or two of spoiling you before I stop feeling so guilty."

"You don't have to feel guilty, Fang," Vanille assured her with a smile. "It's not your fault. He was really prepared. He even had some weird stuff that made me pass out. He put it over my face."

Fang nodded. "The doctors explained it to me while you were sleeping. It's a chemical that makes you dizzy and fall asleep. It can really hurt you if you get too much of it."

Vanille sighed, setting down her bowl of ice cream and resting her cheek against Fang's shoulder. "I wish I wasn't hurt. Having the TV in here is kind of nice and the ice cream is great, but I think this'll get really boring after a few days."

Fang smiled sympathetically. "We'll get through it together. Besides, you've been wanting to start making more jewelry again, right? Here's the perfect opportunity."

The younger woman smiled, because she knew that Fang just wanted her to feel better. "You're right, Fang. I'll have to make a list of supplies for you to get for me." Lowering her eyes, Vanille murmured, "I'm sorry Valentine's Day is gonna be ruined."

Fang raised her brow in question before nodding. "Oh, right. Valentine's Day is this coming weekend. I forgot all about it."

"I won't be able to go camping." Vanille pouted. "I'll have to stay in bed, and we can't probably go anywhere."

"Don't worry about that," Fang told her gently, leaning forwards to press a quick kiss to her lips. "I'll find a way to make Valentine's Day special no matter what happens. We can go camping in the nice weather instead."

Vanille nodded, smiling faintly and reaching for Fang. She hugged the taller woman around the neck, tugging her closer so that she could kiss her. She did not want to tell Fang how terrified she had been that she would never see her again, because she knew that the other woman already felt guilty enough about what had happened, so she kissed her with everything that she felt.

Fang pulled back slightly, wrapping her arms around Vanille and holding her gently because she knew that there were bruises and scrapes on her back. She rested her cheek against the top of her head, breathing in deeply. Even if Vanille tried to hide it, she could see that she was still very frightened and traumatized by what had happened to her. Everything that had occurred while they were l'Cie had prepared them for tragedy, but both had begun to take the security of their new life for granted since they had finally been freed from their crystal prison.

They held each other close for a moment until Vanille's leg began to ache from the strain of how tightly she was holding Fang. She pulled back with a sigh, smiling up at her love.

Fang gave her another light kiss. "Let's keep watching the movie. I bet it only takes ten more minutes for the main character to figure out who she's really in love with."

"Twenty minutes," Vanille insisted, giggling. "I've watched a lot of these movies by now."

"You're on," Fang replied, wrapping her arm around her.

There was a knock on the door.

Fang frowned. "Come in."

The door opened slowly and Lightning poked her head in. "The test results are in."

"And?" Fang prompted.

Lightning furrowed her brows, looking at Vanille.

"She already knows everything I know," Fang assured Lightning. "Just tell us."

"The blood is a match for Agent Young," Lightning replied calmly. "But the hair sample doesn't match."

"What does that mean?" Vanille asked fearfully. "Agent Young is the one who kidnapped me but someone else sent the letter with the clues to Fang?"

"Maybe," Fang replied with a frown. "Light, I wanna be involved in the interrogation, but I have to stay here with Vanille."

"Fang, I'll be okay. There are agents all over the house," Vanille insisted.

"No," Fang told her firmly. "I'm not leaving you alone until I know this is over."

Vanille could see the passion in Fang's eyes and knew that there would be no convincing her otherwise, so she nodded.

"Snow arranged for the suspect to be interrogated here," Lightning explained. "He's in the basement right now."

"What?" Vanille flinched. "What if he escapes?"

"He won't," Lightning assured her with narrowed eyes.

"I'm still not leaving her alone," Fang insisted.

"I can stay with Vanille, Fang." Snow suddenly pushed past Lightning into the bedroom with Serah following behind him. "I'm going to stay by Serah's side anyway."

"You'll be in here watching her?" Fang asked suspiciously. "You can't leave no matter what you hear outside the door."

"I swear I'll stay in here the entire time," Snow promised.

Fang looked at Vanille, studying her eyes carefully. "Do you want me to stay?"

Vanille shook her head gently. "I know I'll be safe with Snow and Serah here, but what about Sazh?"

"I'll be here, too," Sazh replied from the doorway as he walked inside.

Lightning rolled her eyes and looked at Fang. "She'll be safe. Come on. This is still our case."

Fang shrugged, standing from the bed and looking at Vanille one last time. When the other woman gave her a reassuring smile, she leaned forwards to give her a kiss. "I'll be back soon. I promise."

Vanille nodded. "We'll be watching the rest of this movie."

"Lightning is wearing a microphone," Snow told Fang quickly. "We'll be able to hear the entire interrogation and it's being recorded. Give her an earpiece, Light. Then she'll be able to hear what I'm saying, too."

Lightning nodded, motioning for Fang to follow. "Let's go."

Xxx

Fang took several deep breaths as she followed Lightning down the stairs. Even though she wanted to be a part of the investigation, she did not know if it was a good idea for her to interrogate the suspect. When she looked at him, she would not seem him as a person but as a monster who had captured Vanille and stabbed her in the leg out of spite. She would see him as the person who had left Vanille to die and then returned to finish the job when he realized that she escaped. It would take all of her strength not to kill him on the spot.

"Should we do good agent-bad agent?" Lightning asked to fill the silence.

Fang snorted. "Can you be the good agent?"

"I'm never the good agent," Lightning protested.

"Well, right now I can't be a good agent. I wanna kill this guy in cold blood."

Lightning rolled her eyes. "Then I guess it's bad agent-bad agent."

Fang wanted to laugh, but she could not find the humor.

Agent Dellon stopped them at the bottom of the stairs. "I'm coming into the basement with you."

"We don't need your help," Lightning told him firmly, because even if he had been helping them, she could not put aside the fact that he had treated her like a complete asshole during the Christmas party.

"This is my case too," Agent Dellon protested, narrowing his eyes. "I know you don't like me, Agent Farron, but we can be professionals, can't we?"

"No. We don't need you," Lightning informed him stiffly.

"Neither of you should be going in there at all, especially not Agent Yun," Agent Dellon protested. "You're too close to this. I should be in there in case either of you gets emotional and tries to hurt the suspect."

"We won't get emotional," Lightning told him firmly.

"He's got a point, Light." Fang shifted uncomfortably. "Let him come with us. It doesn't make a difference."

Lightning pursed her lips, because she did not want to be around Jake, but she nodded irritably. "Fine."

Fang followed the other two into the basement. The lights had been dimmed, and a table had been set in the center of the room with three chairs around it, two on one side and one on the other. Agent Young sat facing them, his eyes lowered and his hands cuffed together. There were two guards posted on either side of him, but he did not make any move to escape.

When Agent Young heard their footsteps approaching, he looked up with pleading eyes. "I didn't do this! I'm innocent."

"I'm sure that's what you'd like us to believe," Fang grunted.

Lighting sat down at the table and motioned for Fang to join her, but the Gran Pulsian woman shook her head, making it clear that she wanted to stand. Agent Dellon gave Fang a warning look before he took her seat at the table and cleared his throat, preparing to ask a question.

"If you're innocent, how do you explain what happened yesterday?" Lightning interrupted, her eyes narrowed. "Where were you all day?"

"I don't know," Agent Young swore, his eyes wide and nervous. "All I remember is opening the door and being stabbed in the thigh. I was so surprised that I bent over and grabbed my leg. Then someone hit me over the head. That's the last thing I remember before I woke up in the hospital."

"You expect us to believe someone knocked you unconscious and you were passed out for that long?" Fang snapped from across the room.

"Yes, because that's the truth," Agent Young cried. "I didn't do this. I'm a good agent."

"Assuming that you're not lying, what do you remember about your attacker?" Agent Dellon asked.

"Not much." Agent Young sighed wearily. "He was posing as a salesman, but I couldn't get a good look at his face because he was wearing sunglasses."

"Sunglasses?" Fang narrowed her eyes. "Inside an apartment building?"

He nodded. "I remember thinking it was weird."

"Then why did you open the door?" Lightning asked coldly.

"I didn't think I was in danger," Agent Young insisted with a frown. "It was broad daylight and I'm a NORA agent. I thought I could protect myself, but it's not every day you open the door and someone immediately stabs you in the leg."

"What time would you say this happened?" Agent Dellon asked.

Agent Young shook his head. "I-I don't remember. It was after I called in sick to work. I was in bed all morning. I accidentally left my PMC in the bathroom. I had no idea I had missed so many calls."

"Why would someone stab you?" Lightning demanded.

"I don't know." He shook his head. "All I know is that I'm being framed. I am _not_ the person that's been doing this, and you know that. I was here during some of the attacks, and I have alibis for the other attacks. I'm not your guy."

"We'll see about that," Fang told him coldly as she took a step forwards. "How do you explain your bloody fingerprints all over your apartment if you didn't treat your own stab wound?"

"I-I can't explain it, but it wasn't me. I woke up in the hospital," he insisted. "You have to believe me. I could never do anything like this. Ask my friends and family. They know me."

"Calm down," Lightning commanded as though he were being too dramatic. "Tell me everything that you remember about your morning. I want every single detail, including what made you call in sick and what you were doing when the doorbell rang."

"Do you believe me?" Agent Young asked hopefully.

"No," Lightning told him coldly. "But if you are innocent, you better convince me, because I won't stop Fang from killing you and I'll give her an alibi."

Agent Dellon shifted uncomfortably. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves."

"Okay." Agent Young dared a glance at Fang and gulped before looking back at Lightning. "I woke up to my alarm at six in the morning…"

Xxx

Fang walked into the house through the front door and sighed anxiously as she removed her jacket and boots. She had not wanted to leave the house, but everyone had requested that she use her skills to keep them safe. Both Snow and Serah had asked her to use her intensive knowledge of the forest and surrounding area to canvas the entire property and the woods nearby for any suspicious activity or unwanted guests. At first, Fang had declined, but Vanille had convinced her that she would be fine and Sazh had promised to stay upstairs with her until Fang returned.

Snow walked down the stairs and paused when he saw her. "Was everything okay outside?"

"Yeah." Fang nodded. "There's no one out there as far as I could see. It hasn't snowed all day, but there was nothing but animal tracks in the woods. No one came by the house today that we don't know about."

The expression on Snow's face was torn between relief and disappointment. "I don't want it to be him, but…"

"But you'll be glad if this is over?" Fang offered with a sympathetic smile. "Me too. All I wanna do right now is go back upstairs and hug Vanille again."

"Vanille is in the kitchen," Serah told Fang from the couch.

Fang furrowed her brows. "What's she doing in there?"

"She wanted to be down here with everyone else," Serah explained quietly. "And she said she was going to make herself tea. I said I would make it for her, but she wanted to do it herself."

"What about Sazh?" Fang asked with narrowed eyes.

"He's in the bathroom," Snow explained. "Lightning said she would stay with Vanille but she said she wanted to come down here instead."

Fang nodded, kicking her boots into the corner, before immediately walking toward the kitchen. When she moved into the entrance, she found Vanille leaning against the counter and one of her two crutches as she mixed a spoonful of honey into a spiced Gran Pulsian blend of tea. The younger woman had left her other crutch propped against one of the chairs at the kitchen table, clearly unable to use both of them while she was making the tea.

Vanille looked up with a start when she heard footsteps but she smiled when she saw that it was Fang. "You're back already?"

Fang nodded. "There was nothing suspicious outside. What're you doing in here?"

"I'm making tea," Vanille replied with a giggle, pointing to the mug.

"You should've let someone else get it for you," Fang protested.

Vanille frowned. "I know I've gotta take it easy, Fang, but I can't lie in bed for six weeks either. I can make myself some tea."

"Oh, yeah?" Fang smiled, amused. "How were you gonna get it upstairs on your own?"

With a sheepish smile, the younger woman explained, "I was gonna ask someone for help or just drink it right here. I thought I could get it to the table and just use one crutch, but I tried that and it didn't work."

With a sympathetic look, Fang crossed the room to pass Vanille her other crutch and then picked up the mug of tea. "Where do you want it? I'll carry it wherever you wanna go."

"I just wanna sit at the table," Vanille explained.

Fang nodded and carried the tea to the table. She waited for Vanille to sit before she slid into the chair next to her. "Are you still feeling okay? Does your leg hurt?"

"I'm still really uncomfortable most of the time, even with the medicine, but it doesn't hurt that bad. It starts to ache around when I need to take my medicine again." Vanille shrugged. "What was it like outside?"

"Cold," Fang replied with a chuckle. "But there were no signs of anyone. It seems like Agent Young might really be our bad guy."

Vanille bit her lip. "He seemed like such a good person…"

Lightning suddenly walked into the room, frowning. "Did you find anything outside?"

Fang shook her head. "Any news from headquarters?"

"The hair wasn't a match for either P.J. or the other henchman that we caught," Lightning replied as she took a seat across the table. "They put Agent Young in a lineup, but neither P.J. nor the other one could identify him by his appearance or his voice."

"Is there a chance it isn't him?" Vanille asked with wide eyes.

"Vanille, he's hurt _right_ where you said you stabbed him," Fang mumbled gently.

"They also found him with the knife on him," Lightning explained. "The blade had been cleaned but the forensic team still found some traces of his blood near the hilt. He was definitely stabbed with your knife."

Snow walked into the room, having overheard the conversation. "Vanille, the attacker took your knife with him, right?"

Vanille nodded, hugging herself. "That's what he stabbed me with."

Fang tightened her arm around her, wanting her to feel safe.

"There were traces of her blood on the knife, too," Lightning mumbled.

"If the attacker took the knife, he could have stabbed Agent Young with it and planted it on him," Snow offered.

"No one in the apartment building saw anyone strange, and there was nothing on the security cameras," Lightning argued. "There were no salesmen."

"He'd be smart enough to avoid the cameras." Fang sighed, shaking her head. "Whether or not Young is responsible, the hair sample means there was probably an accomplice."

"Unless he really was framed," Snow argued. When both Fang and Lightning glared at him, he shrugged defensively. "I just don't want to convict a good agent without a _lot_ of evidence. So far, everything we have could have been planted by someone else."

"Not the blood," Vanille argued gently, causing everyone to look at her. "You said the blood matched Agent Young, right? How'd it get in our house if the attacker stabbed him at his apartment? There were agents in the house right after I was kidnapped, right? So, there wouldn't have been time for someone to sneak in, clean up their own blood, pour Agent Young's blood on the floor, and then get back outside."

"You're right, Vanille." Fang smiled proudly. "It's gotta be Agent Young."

Snow furrowed his brows. "I guess you're right."

"There's another possibility," Lightning interrupted begrudgingly. "Someone could have switched the blood sample before or after it got to the lab."

Vanille's shoulders fell. "I didn't think of that."

"That's pushing it, Light," Fang argued. "Why're we trying so hard to believe his story anyway? None of it adds up. He looks pretty guilty to me."

"But he doesn't have any motive," Snow insisted. "None of the three of us have taken anything from him, and we barely knew him before this started."

"Besides, Agent Young was with other agents when I chased the perp into the woods," Lightning argued with a frown. "I don't trust him, and I don't believe that he's necessarily innocent, but he _does_ have alibis for all the attacks except for Vanille's kidnapping."

Snow nodded, frowning. "The only thing we might be able to prove is that he was the one who kidnapped Vanille, unless he really is being framed."

Fang covered her eyes with one hand, sighing. "This is too damn complicated. Even if he's the bad guy, he's gotta have a partner, someone that we still haven't caught."

"I'll interrogate him again," Lightning muttered. "If he is guilty, he'll tell me who his partner is."

"If we can prove no one switched out the blood, we can prove he did it, right?"

Snow looked at Fang, nodding.

"Haven't you had agents posted in the lab since the fire?" Fang asked. "They'd have noticed if someone snuck in to switch out the blood."

"I didn't think of that." Snow's eyes widened. "That means that it _was_ Agent Young."

"Unless the real attacker is another NORA agent," Lightning interjected.

Everyone frowned uncomfortably.

"We can't make any assumptions," Snow suddenly exclaimed. "We can only accept what we can prove. So far, we can prove that Agent Young kidnapped Vanille. We also have strong reason to believe there was at least one more attacker. Let's make it our main priority to find that second attacker and finally end this."

Xxx

Lightning pulled into the silent alleyway and turned off her headlights, glancing out the rearview mirror of her air car as she set the vehicle down and parked. She waited impatiently for over ten minutes, glancing at her PMC twice to check the time. It was only when she was on the verge of returning to the house when a sleek black air car pulled into the alleyway behind her, setting down at her side and waiting. The lights flashed twice before turning off.

After waiting another moment, Lightning opened her car door and climbed out. The moon was bright in the sky, so she could clearly see that the alleyway was empty save for the two vehicles. No one had followed her.

The ex-soldier tugged open the door of the black car and slipped inside, taking her seat and turning to her informant with a glare. "You're late."

"Sorry." Orion smiled sheepishly. "I ran into a bit of a situation, unrelated to your case. I was surprised when you called me, Lightning. Why do you need me to investigate for you? Don't you have an entire team of agents dedicated to this case?"

Lightning rolled her eyes. "You're not involved with NORA. Our prime suspect is a NORA agent, and if he was framed, then it only could've been by another agent."

"So, I'm the only one you can trust?" Orion grinned. "That's new."

"I don't trust anyone," Lightning told him coldly. "It's not worth it."

He laughed, shaking his head. "Yes, you do, but we're not here to analyze you. What do you need from me? I've got a busy night ahead of me."

"I know you have more information than you told me before," Lightning told him sharply. "I want it now."

"You hired me. I get to keep the evidence that I find until I don't need it anymore," Orion argued with a sigh. "Besides, I only withheld it so I could keep helping you."

"I want that information," Lightning repeated. "But first, I have a question. Is it possible that Agent Young didn't do this? Could someone have knocked him out and placed him in the mine to frame him? It would have had to happen before you got there."

"Nope, they couldn't have done it before I got there," Orion replied with a shake of his head. "I came around the corner just as the Gran Pulsian woman was knocking him out cold with that big wooden beam."

"Did you check his identity?"

"Not immediately, no. He was unconscious, and I figured he probably had a concussion after I saw her hit him so hard." Orion shrugged. "The woman started running away, but I could see she needed medical attention. She wasn't headed the right direction to get out of the mine so I followed her."

"She thought you were the attacker," Lightning pointed out.

"I know. I could tell from the way she was running." He shook his head, sighing. "You should've seen her when I finally caught up to her. She looked relieved, but then she saw me. I don't think she was really seeing much by then, but she must've passed out thinking she was dead. No one's ever looked at me like that before."

"What happened next?"

"After she was passed out, I picked her up and carried her back to where she had knocked him out. I checked under the mask and took a picture of his face like you told me. Then I called NORA and gave an anonymous tip."

"That must be why Snow had all the on-duty agents go back to the mines." Lightning furrowed her brows. "You didn't stay to make sure he didn't get away?"

"The girl was bleeding to death, Lightning," Orion argued. "I got out of there as fast as I could and took her to the hospital."

Lightning nodded, looking away. "It's better that you helped her, but this information doesn't help us. If the perp woke up before the agents got there, he could easily have switched places with someone else while you were getting Vanille."

"I wouldn't say _easily_. He was hurt pretty bad, clearly stabbed in the leg and whacked across the head, _and_ he was unconscious. I searched him and took something out of his pocket and he didn't wake up."

"That's what you took?" Lightning asked with a frown.

"Yeah. There was one piece of paper there." He rolled his eyes, grunting, "This perp is real cute. He had a piece of paper in his damn pocket that said 'Accomplices' on the top. It's a list of everyone he hired to help him. The two you already captured and interrogated are on the list."

"Why didn't you give us this information before?"

"I wanted to see if they were in contact with him even though he's locked up," Orion explained honestly. "I figured out pretty quickly that all of them are small-time criminals. Just this evening, I turned them all in with anonymous tips. They're in NORA custody right now."

"Give me the list," Lightning ordered. "I'll interrogate them myself."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the piece of paper. "I made a copy for myself, but here's the original. I didn't get any prints off of it, and I couldn't find any evidence connecting any of the people on the list to the crimes committed at your house."

"What about the background check on Agent Young?"

"Nothing." Orion shook his head. "It's like he never existed, but that's not unusual right now. A lot of records were lost and misfiled during the changeover between the old and new government. Claire Farron doesn't exist either, other than as a resident of the Town of Troth. All your records are listed as 'to be added in the months to come.'"

Lightning shook her head. "The government is too slow and disorganized. We need this information now."

"Well, it doesn't exist as far as I could see."

With a thoughtful nod, Lightning asked, "Do you have anything else?"

"No. I'll keep looking. No one knows I'm involved yet, as far as I know. I should be able to poke around without Agent Young or any other guilty parties knowing about it."

"Good."

"Do you think the agent really did it?" Orion pressed, raising his brow. "These are some pretty serious crimes."

"Yes. I think he's guilty," Lightning said firmly.

"Why would he do it?" Orion asked.

"I don't know yet, but if there is a motive, we'll find it." Lightning pushed the car door open and stepped out. "I'll be in touch. Don't call me unless you have more information."

He did not have a chance to answer as she slammed the door shut.

Xxx

Lightning returned the house and pulled her air car into the driveway. She glanced around suspiciously as she climbed out of the car. There had been no disturbances since Agent Young was captured, but she was not going to let down her guard. Though she did not always show it, nothing was more important to Lightning than the safety of her friends and family. She was not about to lose any of them to a stalker who was too cowardly to approach her outright.

When she was satisfied that there was no one sneaking around outside the house, Lightning walked up the front steps and used the key to open the door. She did not bother taking off her coat and boots as she entered the house, because she was planning on leaving as soon as she told someone where she was going.

Snow walked into the room and looked up, surprised. "Lightning, I didn't know you were out."

"Where is everyone?" Lightning asked suspiciously.

"Uh, Sazh is in the basement, Serah is getting lesson plans ready for when school starts again, and Fang and Vanille are upstairs." He furrowed his brows. "Where were you? Are you going out again?"

"I'm going back into headquarters," Lightning told him as she took the note out of her pocket and handed it to him. "This is a list of the accomplices. They're all in NORA custody."

"What? Since when?" Snow asked as he studied the names on the list.

"They were arrested for other crimes, but this list was on Agent Young when he was brought in," Lightning replied.

"Why didn't I hear about this?" Snow asked with a frown. "Do you know anything else you're keeping from us?"

Lightning shook her head. "I gave the information to a private investigator instead and asked him to tail the accomplices. If there are other NORA agents involved, it was too risky to let them know what we were doing."

Snow sighed. "You still should've told me. What are you going to do now? Should I call Agent Dellon and tell him to interrogate the new accomplices? He's probably still there."

"I'll do it myself," Lightning told him firmly. "If they were involved, I can make them confess."

With furrowed brows, Snow reminded her, "You can interrogate them, Lightning, but you can't hurt them. They have rights even if they're criminals."

"I don't have to hurt them," Lighting insisted sharply. "I just have to make them think I will."

Snow sighed, nodding. "Okay, but be careful. If you think you're getting too frustrated, have someone else take over. We don't need a lawsuit on our hands."

Lightning gave a firm nod, putting out her hand to take back the list. "I'll call or come back as soon as I have information. It shouldn't take long. There are only three suspects we haven't already interrogated."

With that, the ex-soldier turned and walked briskly back to her air car. Her ears pricked at the slightest sounds, but several suspicious glances confirmed that there was no one around. Fang had been canvassing the area every night, and she had not seen so much as one suspicious footprint. By all appearances, the disaster was over.

Lightning would not trust that, however, until every last person involved was captured.

Xxx

The second that Lightning came home that evening, she checked the mailbox and took a short walk around the house to see for herself that there was no evidence of suspicious activity. When she was satisfied, she walked inside and shut the door gently behind her. It was late and the house was quiet, but she was not naïve enough to think that everyone was sleeping. She could hear the sound of voices in the basement, so she opened the door and crept silently down the stairs.

Everyone was playing a game of cards at a card table that had been set up. From the jubilant atmosphere, it was clear that for once they were all distracted from the threat that had dominated their attention for the last few weeks. Even Vanille looked pleased, though every once in a while she shifted uncomfortably, reminding everyone that she was injured.

Fang suddenly looked up and noticed Lightning. "You're back."

The others looked up as well, and the pleasant atmosphere disappeared.

"Sit down, Claire," Serah suggested gently. "I made snacks. Do you want some cheese and crackers?"

Lightning shook her head, but she did walk to the table and sit in the open chair beside her sister. "I interrogated all of the accomplices. I even spoke to P.J. and the other one again."

"And?" Fang prompted, setting her cards down on the table.

"They all admitted to working with the perpetrator and described his hoodies and general attire accurately." Lightning narrowed her eyes. "According to the accomplices, they were each approached by him on the street, always at night. He offered them large amounts of money for small jobs, always failing to mention what was really going on. They're all criminals and knew that they were involved in something, but none of them are clear on what even happened. Only one of them knows that Vanille was kidnapped at all."

When Vanille shifted uncomfortably, Fang wrapped her arm reassuringly around her shoulders and asked, "What else?"

"The first one I interrogated was the driver. He spent the most time with the perp, but he doesn't know anything about him. He says that every night for a few weeks, he drove the black car to our house and waited outside while the man in the black hoodie got out and investigated our property. It was going on longer than we knew. He also drove the night that the brick was thrown through the window. Depending on what the perp told him, he would either wait on the roads to the east and west of this property or on the street in front of the house."

"He wasn't afraid of getting caught?" Vanille asked with a frown.

"Apparently not." Lightning frowned, glancing at Fang. "There's more. On the night that Vanille was kidnapped, the driver admitted he was directly involved. He says that the perp went into the house and carried Vanille out. He put her in the car, and then gave the driver new instructions. The driver was the one who brought Vanille to the mine, undressed her down to her underwear, and tied her to the chair. He says he left after that and had no idea what had happened to Vanille afterwards. When we found the driver, he had been physically assaulted. He says that the perp beat him up after Vanille escaped, saying it was his fault for not tying her legs to the chair."

"Then he's facing kidnapping charges, too," Fang grumbled, tightening her arm around Vanille protectively. "What about the others?"

"We have the other two who helped shoot up the house while Vanille was being kidnapped. One of them also admitted to staging the robbery at the grocery store. Including P.J. and the other shooter at the house, that's five accomplices."

"Were they able to identify Agent Young?" Snow asked.

"No. Not in the lineup or by his voice," Lightning grumbled, shaking her head. "One of them swore Agent Young's voice was completely wrong."

"Why didn't the bad guy go with the driver when he kidnapped Vanille?" Serah asked with a frown. "Vanille, you said he was there when you woke up, right?"

"Yeah, but I dunno how long I was unconscious," Vanille replied, frowning.

"What are you thinking, Serah?" Sazh asked.

"I don't know. It just doesn't make sense to me. Where could the kidnapper have gone? He was just stabbed. He wouldn't have stayed here, and he probably couldn't drive himself somewhere," Serah pointed out.

"So, you think there was another accomplice?" Snow asked.

"Maybe," Serah shrugged. "I don't know. I'm just trying to help."

"I stabbed him on the left side," Vanille argued gently. "He could drive."

"Yeah, he could drive right back to his apartment to treat the wound in his bathroom," Fang interjected. "That's probably why he didn't go with them. He was bleeding."

"How did he get into the apartment without anyone seeing that he had been stabbed?" Lightning asked with a frown. "No one saw him enter or leave the building the entire morning."

"I dunno," Fang replied with a sigh, shaking her head. "What about the bounty hunter? Was he one of the accomplices you captured?"

"No." Lightning shook her head. "There were only five people on the list. None of them claimed to be a bounty hunter."

"Why would the bad guy walk around with a list of his accomplices in his pocket?" Sazh asked with a frown. "That just seems stupid."

"Either he wanted them all to go down with him if he was captured," Snow suggested, "or Agent Young is being framed and the real bad guy wanted us to think we had tied up all the loose ends."

"Either way, we need more evidence," Fang mumbled.

Everyone nodded solemnly.

"Well, we can't do anything right now," Vanille exclaimed, forcing a cheerful tone, "so let's keep playing cards. I think I'm finally getting the hang of this game."

The dark mood was broken as everyone returned to the fun game, and Fang smiled gratefully at her partner, leaning to the side to kiss her temple.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

AN: Here is the eighth installment of Crimes of Passion. The story is winding down, but there are a couple chapters left. I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: FFXIII plot and characters belong to Square Enix. Everything else belongs to me.

Vanille rested against the counter, propping herself up by the arms so that she did not put any pressure on her still injured leg. She moved to the side as best she could, peeking into the bowl where Fang was stirring together all the ingredients listed on the back of the pancake mix.

"Oh, Fang, you should add some cinnamon!" Vanille suggested suddenly, grinning. "That'll taste really good."

"There's no cinnamon in the recipe," Fang replied with an amused smile as she kept stirring. "What if it tastes bad with the other ingredients?"

"Cinnamon doesn't taste bad with anything," Vanille argued teasingly. "Remember all the delicious cakes they used to sell during the flower festivals in Oerba? All the bakers would use extra cinnamon. Everything tasted so good!"

Fang laughed lightly. "I'll add some, but I bet there're a lot of things that don't taste good with cinnamon."

"Well, the pancakes will taste fine with it, especially if we use that tasty cream cheese stuff Serah gave us last time," Vanille exclaimed with a giggle.

"Cream cheese?" Fang furrowed her brows. "I don't think that'll taste good on pancakes."

"No, not actual cream cheese," Vanille protested. "It was icing, but I think it was made of cream cheese or…something like that. It was really good. Do you think Serah has any more?"

"I dunno." Fang chuckled. "The recipe says to use syrup, which I don't think will taste as good with cinnamon…"

"But Fang!" Vanille whined, pouting as she took a step closer and gave her big puppy eyes. "The icing was so good and I _love_ cinnamon."

Fang shook her head, laughing. "Fine, I'll do it your way, but don't complain if it tastes weird."

"It's not gonna taste weird," Vanille assured her with a bright grin. "It'll taste great! I'll get the cinnamon out of the cabinet for you."

"You need your crutches," Fang reminded her, glancing over her shoulder with a frown to see that both crutches were still leaning against one of the chairs at the kitchen table. "Otherwise you'll hurt yourself."

"I'll be okay, Fang," Vanille promised gently. "I can reach."

Fang watched carefully as Vanille braced one hand against the counter to balance herself and stood on the tiptoes of her uninjured foot. The younger woman leaned heavily against the counter, pushing upwards slightly and using her free hand to open the cabinet. She plucked the cinnamon effortlessly out of the cabinet, but when she turned to hand it to Fang, she stumbled to the side with a gasp of surprise and lost her balance.

Fang released the handle of the large spoon she was using to stir the batter together and turned to the side, taking a step forwards. She put her arms out and caught Vanille before she could fall down, wrapping her in a tight embrace and pulling her closer.

As she smiled down at her, Fang teased, "Remember when the nice doctor said to take it easy?"

Vanille hugged Fang around the waist and rested against her, pouting up at her. "I remember, but I wanna help you cook. I don't wanna be helpless for the next six weeks, Fang. It's getting really boring."

"I know, but you've gotta be careful or you'll get hurt worse and this'll last even longer," Fang murmured gently, lifting one hand to run her fingers through Vanille's hair as she held her tightly with her other arm. Smiling, she exclaimed, "Until you're all better, you've gotta let me take care of you, okay?"

"You've always taken care of me, Fang," Vanille giggled, shaking her head. "Sometimes it's too much."

"Well, if you thought I was overprotective before, look out," Fang teased, smiling as she tucked some stray hairs behind Vanille's ear. With a sigh, she grew slightly more somber. "After what happened to you…I'm just really worried. If I'd been inside where I was supposed to be, you never would've been kidnapped and hurt, so I have to make sure you're okay now. I have to protect you and take care of you even more than I have before."

Vanille smiled lovingly. "Well, I wanna take care of you and help you, too. Maybe when this is over, I can take some self-defense classes with Serah and then I'll even be able to protect you, too."

Fang laughed lightly, leaning forwards and kissing the top of her head. "You should. I bet there're some really fun martial arts classes you could take. I'd even take them with you. I know how to fight, but not like that."

"We should do that!" Vanille gasped excitedly. "I've always wanted to be better at that kind of thing. That'll be really fun."

"We just have to wait until you're better," Fang reminded her with a laugh, lowering her voice. "So until then, I'm the one who's gonna be doing the protecting. Got it?"

Vanille nodded, staring lovingly into Fang's eyes. "I'm really glad you're here to take care of me, Fang. I'm really lucky to have you. Sometimes people don't end up with the right person, but we're perfect for each other."

"Yeah, we are," Fang agreed as she leaned forwards and pecked Vanille's lips. "We're both lucky to have each other and to have this chance to be together now even though our past was stolen from us. So, you've gotta be careful, okay?"

Vanille nodded, giggling as she leaned forwards and kissed Fang again.

They pulled back to look at each other for a moment, each fully appreciating the sincere adoration in the other's eyes, before they leaned in again. Fang wrapped her arms around Vanille's waist and held her firmly so that she would not lose her balance or have to put any extra weight on her injured leg, and the younger woman leaned against her, sighing happily into their kiss. Vanille wrapped her arms around Fang's neck, pulling her down slightly as their kiss deepened, lips moving together passionately as all of the unspoken worry and fear of the last several weeks began to fade away. They were together again, and that was all that mattered.

Sazh walked into the kitchen and jumped with surprise, clearing his throat awkwardly as he began to turn away. "Whoops!"

Fang laughed, pulling away from Vanille, though she still held her close. "Can we help you with something?"

"Er, well, Serah said you were making breakfast, but…"

"We are," Fang told him with a smirk as she motioned to the pancake mix that she had been stirring together.

"We just got carried away," Vanille told Sazh with a giggle as she pulled back gently and handed Fang the cinnamon. "Here you go."

Sazh coughed awkwardly, asking, "So, what exactly are you making?"

"Pancakes," Fang replied with a smile. "I was gonna make them the normal way, but Vanille here wants cinnamon and cream cheese icing. She's so demanding, this one."

"Fang!" Vanille giggled, biting her lip. "It's gonna taste really good. Everyone's gonna thank me."

Sazh smiled, happy to see the two of them reunited and in such a cheerful mood. "Pancakes sound good. Let me know when they're ready and I'll have some."

"Sure thing." Fang saluted with the batter-covered spoon before she continued stirring the ingredients together. "Assuming Vanille doesn't try to get anything else out of the cabinet again, we'll probably finish pretty quickly."

Sazh gave a confused look. "Okay, well, I'll see you two later—"

Snow suddenly poked his head into the room. "'Morning, guys. Does anyone know where Lightning is? I haven't seen her in a while."

"I haven't seen her all morning," Fang murmured, glancing at the clock. "That's kinda weird. Light's usually up way before now."

Vanille frowned faintly. "Maybe she's not here."

The doorbell suddenly rang, causing everyone to jump. The group of them exchanged worried glances, frowning uncomfortably, before Snow finally stepped forwards.

"I'll get it. I wonder who it could be this early."

Snow walked out into the living room, passing Serah, who was sitting on the couch with a nervous look. Everyone held their breath as he stepped forwards and opened the door.

"Hello." Snow raised his brow, unsure whether or not he should be relieved to see someone he had never met before standing on the snow-covered stoop. "Can I help you?"

"I need to speak to Lightning Farron immediately."

Serah gasped as she peeked around the couch. "Snow, don't let him in! That's the bounty hunter who chased me and Vanille through the city."

"The bounty hunter?" Fang demanded angrily before glancing at Sazh. "You stay here with Vanille. I'll take care of this."

Sazh nodded, quickly handing Vanille her crutches in case they needed to attempt some kind of quick getaway. "Is this bounty hunter dangerous?"

"We're about to find out, now aren't we?" Fang grumbled as she stomped into the living room with a dark look on her face. The man in the doorway looked very formidable, even in a gray sweatshirt and a pair of blue jeans. Fang, however, was unconcerned as she demanded, "Who are you and what d'you want with Light?"

"I'm not really a bounty hunter." The man in the grey sweatshirt put his hands out as though to surrender. "My name is Orion, and I need to talk to Lightning right now. If you go get her, she'll vouch for me."

"How do you know Lightning?" Snow asked suspiciously. "Why would someone that she knows chase her sister down the street?"

"Please, just go get her. I'm not a threat," Orion insisted. "I wouldn't be here otherwise. I'd have to be stupid to walk into the house in broad daylight when all of you are standing right here."

"If you need to talk to Light so badly, why didn't you just call her on her PMC?" Fang asked with narrowed eyes.

"I tried, but she didn't answer," Orion replied with a pleading look. "Just get her."

"Fine." Fang turned and stomped toward the stairs. When Snow began to follow her, she stopped and turned to face him, lowering her voice so that the others would not hear. "Stay down there in case he's a threat. Don't you think Light might've mentioned if the bounty hunter chasing Serah and Vanille was her buddy?"

"I guess you're right," Snow exclaimed thoughtfully. "Get Lightning quickly, okay?"

Fang nodded but then paused, her brow furrowing with worry. "Shouldn't there be someone on duty here? Where's the NORA agent that you posted up here?"

Snow's eyes widened with surprise. "I don't know. Agent Thomas was supposed to relieve Agent Stanno. He should be here."

"Agent Thomas?" Fang tilted her head curiously. "I don't know any Agent Thomas. How come I haven't met him before? NORA's not that big."

"He works down in evidence, so he's usually in the basement," Snow explained quickly. "I'm surprised I didn't introduce all of you to him at the Christmas party. I guess I was just distracted by everything that happened with Lightning and Agent Dellon. Agent Thomas and I have become really good friends. We play poker together with some of the other guys every Wednesday in his apartment."

Fang tried to remember everyone she had seen at the Christmas party. "What's he look like? I bet I've seen him before."

"Uh, he has brown hair, blue eyes…" Snow shrugged. "You would remember if I had introduced you, because he spilled his drink all over himself halfway through the party."

"He spilled his drink?" Fang smirked faintly. "Hm, I don't remember that at all."

Snow looked confused by her expression. "I'll go back downstairs, but I have to call headquarters and figure out why he isn't here. You go check on Lightning. I don't want a repeat of…what happened the last time someone was alone up here."

"Don't call headquarters just yet," Fang requested, still smirking. "I bet I know exactly where Agent Thomas went."

"What do you mean?" Snow asked with a raised brow. "The agents aren't allowed to take breaks."

"Never mind, Snow. Just get back downstairs and protect our family. We can deal with missing agents later," Fang told him as she turned swiftly around. "I'll get Lightning."

"Okay." Snow shrugged and turned away.

Fang crossed the hall quietly and pressed her ear close to Lightning's door, listening carefully. When she heard nothing, she shrugged and pulled back to knock loudly. The sheets rustled inside the room, making it sound as though Lightning had still been sleeping, but when the ex-soldier opened the door, she was dressed in her usual attire.

"What?" Lightning asked, only tugging the door open a crack.

"What's the matter, Light?" Fang asked with a smirk. "You're not hiding anything in there are you? Got something you don't want me to see?"

Lightning narrowed her eyes. "Like what?"

"I dunno. You're the one who's practically clawing at the door to keep it shut," Fang teased, laughing lightly. "Say, do you know where Agent Thomas went? Snow says he's supposed to be in the hallway here, but I can't find him anywhere."

"I haven't seen him," Lightning asserted, eying her impatiently. "Do you need something?"

"Yeah, unfortunately," Fang sobered. "There's a guy downstairs to see you. Serah and Vanille say he's the bounty hunter who chased them down the street in the city, but he seems to think you'll vouch for him. He says his name's Orion."

Lightning stiffened, narrowing her eyes.

"Do you know him?"

"Yes." Lightning pursed her lips. "Go back downstairs. I'll be there in a minute."

"Why can't you just come down now?" Fang smirked as she tried to peek inside the room.

"Just go," Lightning grumbled, quickly shutting the door.

Fang merely laughed to herself as she turned to walk away. The smile slid off of her face as she returned to the living room, preparing herself for a dangerous battle because she never knew what might happen. There was a chance that the bounty hunter was simply posing as one of Lightning's friends, assuming that they would not know he was lying until the moment that she came down the stairs. He might be able to do a lot of damage before she actually reached them, so Fang had to be prepared.

Xxx

Almost ten minutes later, Lightning stomped down the stairs and whirled around the corner. She stopped in her tracks when she spotted the man in the doorway and everyone reached for their weapons, sure that he must be an imposter. However, Lightning did not seem concerned as she stormed toward him, stopping only a foot away with her fists clenched.

"I told you _never_ to come here," Lightning growled angrily.

"I know, but this is an emergency," Orion insisted, crossing his arms. "I tried to reach you and I couldn't. You know how I feel about people who ignore my calls."

"Wait, you actually know him, Claire? I thought he was lying," Serah gasped, looking betrayed. "Did you know the entire time that he was the one who had followed us?"

"I asked him to follow you as a favor," Lightning admitted, frowning. "He was supposed to watch you from afar and protect you, not sprain Vanille's ankle and scare you both."

"Look, they made me and I improvised. I'm not a damn bodyguard," Orion protested. "Besides, the Gran Pulsian one tripped. I didn't push her. I asked her if she was okay, but she didn't trust me."

"Well, you know, I'm always telling Vanille she should trust every scary stranger who chases her down the road, but she never listens to me," Fang grumbled irritably. "If Light says you were following them to protect them, I'll trust that she's not lying, but I still wanna know who you really are."

"Well…" He frowned, glancing at Lightning. "I'm a—"

"He's a private investigator," Lightning interrupted.

"Why do you know a private investigator?" Serah demanded with wide eyes.

"I just know him," Lightning replied sharply before turning to Orion. "What did you find out that was so urgent? I was trying to avoid this."

"I know, but I was doing some more digging in the city, trying to track down that getaway car your perp was using. I figured it would be in a parking lot or an alleyway somewhere, but while I was poking around, I spotted the car speeding by." Orion frowned as they all began to look rather upset. "It had the same license plate so I know it was the right car. I jumped into my own car and chased the perp down until he pulled over and got out to confront me. It was a guy in a black hoodie, just like before."

"Did he attack you?" Lightning asked.

Orion shook his head. "We were in a pretty populated area, and people were starting to look curious. Neither of us could really do anything. I tried to pull a citizen's arrest, but he just started laughing before he got back in his car and drove away."

"Was he limping?" Fang asked with a frown.

"Yes, but not badly," Orion shook his head slowly. "I just wanted to let all of you know as soon as possible that there's a chance this guy is still out there."

"That's not an emergency," Lightning grumbled. "Next time send a message to my PMC if I don't answer when you call."

"Actually, you can call the house from now on," Serah interjected quietly. "Now that we know you're Claire's friend and not someone who's trying to hurt us, there's no reason that you can't communicate with us when she's not answering."

Orion frowned but nodded. "I guess there's no harm in that, since you're all involved."

"I can't believe this still isn't over," Vanille exclaimed suddenly, looking disheartened as she used her crutches to travel laboriously from the kitchen to the living room. "I thought for sure Agent Young was guilty and we had finally captured everyone involved."

"This doesn't mean he isn't guilty," Sazh argued as he followed Vanille out of the kitchen. "Orion, right? Orion said that this other guy was limping, but that could've been an act. Maybe Agent Young just hired an accomplice to make it look like he wasn't guilty."

"How could he have hired the accomplice from inside of lockup?" Snow frowned. "He isn't allowed to have any visitors."

"Maybe he hired him before he was arrested," Orion suggested with a shrug. "He might have told him to take the car out every day and wait for someone to spot him."

"I guess that makes sense," Snow nodded in agreement.

"I can't take much more of this," Serah admitted quietly, standing up and walking toward Snow. "We need to find a way to figure out whether or not Agent Young is really guilty."

"Did we ever find out who the hair belonged to?" Fang inquired. "Was it one of the accomplices?"

"There were no matches," Lighting replied.

"Well, didn't we decide only another NORA agent could've framed Agent Young?" Fang prompted, pursing her lips. "Why hasn't anyone checked for matches among the other agents yet?"

Lightning glanced at Snow. "Call headquarters and make them do that now."

Snow shook his head. "I'll go down and do it myself. I can put the place on lockdown and make sure no one leaves before I start taking hair samples."

"Anything else?" Lightning asked Orion with a sharp look.

He shook his head. "I'll get going."

"Do you want to stay for breakfast?" Serah asked, biting her lip. "You've been helping Claire investigate, so you're always welcome…"

"Thanks, but I've gotta get back out there. I'm working on other cases, too." Orion shrugged and waved as he began to back out the door. "Everyone stay safe. I'll call Lightning as soon as I have some more information."

"I should go, too." Snow glanced at Serah, leaning forwards to give her a quick kiss. "I'll see you later, okay? Be careful here."

"You be careful too," Serah exclaimed as she stepped forwards to hug him tightly. "If the bad guy is another NORA agent, they'll know that you're on to them as soon as you put the NORA Headquarters on lockdown. Please don't get hurt."

"I won't," Snow promised with a grin as he kissed the top of her head. "I can take care of myself. Don't worry."

Serah smiled faintly. "I know. You're really strong."

Snow grinned proudly before sobering. "I'll see you later. It might not be until tonight."

"Okay." Serah pulled away sadly. "See you."

After waving to the others, Snow followed Orion outside, locking the door and shutting it behind him.

Fang glanced out the window, watching Snow and Orion walk down the driveway and get into separate air cars, before she turned toward Vanille and smiled. "We better make those pancakes. Otherwise, we'll never get breakfast. I'm starving."

"Me, too," Vanille agreed as she turned toward the kitchen and braced herself against her crutches. Her movements were still slow, but she was getting the hang of using the devices to walk more easily.

"I'll be right back," Sazh murmured as he turned and walked into the basement.

Fang and Vanille disappeared into the kitchen, leaving the two Farron sisters alone together. Lightning wanted to return to her room, but she could see from the look on her sister's face that Serah was upset with her.

"Claire, why do you know a private investigator?" Serah asked quietly. "Does it have something to do with this investigation or is it something else? Are you hiding something from me? I'm very worried about you."

"It's nothing," Lightning insisted with pursed lips. "I just know him."

"Why?" Serah asked more firmly. "I need to know."

"He wasn't always a private investigator," Lightning admitted. "He was in the Guardian Corps for a while. We worked together a few times."

"Did you call him to help you with this case or was he already investigating something for you?" Serah asked with a disappointed look. "I don't think we should keep secrets from each other, Claire. We're all living in this house together, and you and I are sisters."

"I'm not keeping secrets—"

"Don't lie to me, Claire," Serah begged, pouting. "Why else would you not have told us that the 'bounty hunter' was working for you? Vanille almost _shot_ him. You should've told us."

"I'll tell you next time," Lightning grumbled.

"Claire, what is he investigating for you?" Serah demanded, placing her hands on her hips. "I know it's important. You're trying to hide it from me."

Lightning merely glared at her sister, but Serah rose to the challenge, crossing her arms and staring with a very firm look. Only one of them could win, and eventually Lightning sighed and looked away.

"After I finished renovating the house, I changed our mailing address from the PO box to here," Lightning exclaimed with pursed lips. "The next day, I got a letter from someone claiming to be…"

"Claiming to be what?" Serah prompted curiously.

Lightning frowned. "He claims to be our father."

"What?" Serah gasped, her eyes wide. "Claire, our father died when we were young."

"That's what our mother told us, but we don't really know what happened to him," Lightning replied, beginning to pace as she explained, "I thought it was a trick at first, so I ignored it. He sent two more letters asking why I wouldn't reply. Eventually the letters stopped. He gave up, but I got curious. I hired Orion to figure out who sent the letters."

"And?" Serah asked, biting her lip. "Do you think he's really our father?"

"I don't know." Lightning shook her head firmly. "But I don't trust him, whoever he is. Why would he wait all this time? Why would our mother say he was dead?"

Serah remained silent for a long time, hugging herself. "I-I never even knew him, Claire."

"That's why I didn't tell you. I don't know if this is a trick, but I don't trust him. He's probably not really our father."

"Can he do a paternity test?" Serah asked quietly.

"I want to find out more about him first," Lightning replied with a frown. "If he's a criminal, I don't want him to be a part of our lives. Our mother wouldn't have said he was dead unless she never wanted us to see him again."

"I still want to know, Claire," Serah insisted. "I _deserve_ to be involved in this."

Lightning averted her eyes, still frowning.

"If he is our father, I want to know where he was during our childhood." Serah hugged herself more tightly. "Didn't he want to know us? We're his children!"

"Don't talk like this. We don't know anything about him," Lightning reminded her. "Leave this to me until I find out more information. He could be dangerous, and he's probably not our father."

"I'll let you handle it for now, but I expect you to keep me informed," Serah told her sister sternly. "I'm too old for you to hide things from me, Claire, even if you do it to protect me. I know that you do it because you love me, but I'm an adult now just like you."

"Right now, Orion is focused on the stalker," Lightning mumbled. "It's more important."

"I agree, but promise that you'll tell me when you know more about this other case," Serah begged.

"Fine." Lightning sighed. "It won't be for a while."

Serah shrugged, forcing a smile. "Well, let's not think about it until later then. Breakfast will be ready soon. I'm excited to try Fang and Vanille's pancakes. They always experiment and I think I heard someone mention cream cheese icing."

"I'm going back upstairs," Lightning replied with a shrug. "I'll be back down later."

"Oh, okay." Serah pouted as she watched her walk away. "See you later."

Xxx

Serah poked her head out of the kitchen and glanced around the living room. She noticed that Fang and Vanille were sitting close together on the couch and sharing a footrest. Fang was reading through a magazine while Vanille sat at her side making a bracelet out of different colored beads that glittered. Lightning sat on the other chair with her laptop on her lap, her fingers moving rapidly across the keyboard and an intense look of concentration on her face. Sazh sat on the other side of the couch with a book in his hand, turning the pages slowly as though he were distracted.

"Is something wrong, Serah?" Fang asked suddenly.

"No, everything's fine." Serah blushed when everyone looked at her. "The dogs are going crazy in here, but otherwise everything is okay."

"If the dogs destroy anything else in my house, I'm selling them both," Lightning told Fang pointedly.

With a smirk, Fang nudged Vanille lightly in the side. "You hear that? We might get to keep both dogs when we move out."

Lightning scoffed. "Ripper is mine."

"Glad to hear you like him, Light," Fang exclaimed before looking at Serah. "So, if nothing's wrong, what's up?"

"Dinner is almost ready," Serah replied gently. "I didn't know what to make, so we're going to have a casserole."

"I like rolls," Vanille exclaimed encouragingly.

Serah giggled, shaking her head. "No, a casserole. You never had casseroles in Oerba?"

"Maybe, but we might've had a different name for them," Vanille replied with a shrug, smiling. "What are they?"

"Well, this one is a chicken casserole with rice, broccoli, onions, green beans, and some other stuff," Serah replied with a small smile. "I think you'll like it. I added extra salt just for you and Fang."

"Then it'll be perfect," Fang exclaimed with a smile.

A key suddenly turned in the lock, causing everyone to look over their shoulders as Snow pushed through the door. He slipped solemnly out of his boots and closed the door behind him before looking up and smiling weakly at everyone. "Hey, guys. What's up?"

Serah forced a smile. "Well, dinner is almost ready…"

"What did you find out?" Lightning interrupted with narrowed eyes. "Was there a match?"

Snow sighed as he took his jacket off and put it into the closet. He walked out into the room, crossing his arms, and explained, "I have some bad news. There was a match for the hair, but you're not going to like it."

"Just tell us, Snow," Fang requested with a frown. "It can't get any worse."

"The match was for Agent Jake Dellon," Snow replied.

"I knew we couldn't trust him," Lightning growled.

"So far, Agent Sovina thinks they might have been working together," Snow explained, a crease forming in his forehead as he furrowed his brows. "The problem is that both of them are claiming that they were set up."

"I want to interrogate them," Lightning grumbled.

"No. I want to do it." Fang narrowed her eyes. "And this time, I wanna be alone. How late can I interrogate a suspect?"

Snow glanced at his watch. "You could go after dinner and still make it a long time before lights out for the suspects in lockup."

"It's not a good idea for Fang to go," Lightning argued, furrowing her brows.

"I know it's not a good idea, but I can make them talk," Fang insisted.

"Fang, you're not allowed to hurt them," Snow reminded her. "That's not the way we do things."

"Who said I was gonna hurt anyone? I just wanna be the one to interrogate the suspects this time. Light had to interrogate everyone this morning. It might as well be my turn."

"Fang, will you be able to stay calm?" Vanille asked quietly.

"Yes, I'll be able to stay calm," Fang replied with a reassuring look as she wrapped her arm around Vanille's shoulders. "Until I know whether they both did it or it was just one of them, I won't do anything rash. Besides, there'll be other agents there."

"Even if you interrogate them, you might have trouble figuring out who did it," Snow warned Fang with a sigh. "They're both making pretty convincing cases, and they've both been stabbed in the leg."

Vanille furrowed her brows. "Maybe you should let me look at them. I might be able to tell which one looks about the right size."

Fang shook her head, wrapping her arm around Vanille. "That's dangerous, and you're hurt enough already. Besides, only one of them attacked you, but that doesn't mean they aren't both guilty. We need hard evidence or a confession to be sure."

"Okay, but be careful, Fang," Vanille mumbled.

"I will be, and this'll be over soon, I promise." Fang hugged her close. "I'll go right after dinner, and hopefully by tonight we'll know who's actually guilty."

Everyone nodded solemnly, all clearly exhausted with the situation.

Xxx

Fang pulled quickly into the parking lot of the Troth NORA Headquarters and set her air car down in one of the spaces, which was marked by green lines of paint that glowed in the dark. After shutting off her lights and cutting the engine, Fang dropped her keys into one of the pouches attached to the leather belt at her waist and waited. It was difficult to imagine that there was yet another attacker who could have followed her, but at that point Fang was not going to take any chances. The last thing that they all needed was another kidnapping or worse.

A short while passed and soon Fang was sure that there was no one else around, so she slid out of the car and checked that it was locked before quickly crossing the dark parking lot. The clouds in the sky covered the moon and the stars, making it difficult to see, especially when the path to headquarters was only lit by a few dim street lights. The headquarters looked eerie and deserted, but Fang knew that even at night there would always be someone around. Her badge would get her past the locked doors and through the security checkpoint, and even if most agents had gone home for the night, the night shift would be there.

Fang walked up the darkened path and swiped her ID badge across one of the sensors, listening to the click of the locks opening, and then pushed open the door. When she was inside, she checked over her shoulder to make sure that no one had followed her before crossing the room and passing the single security guard stationed at the front desk. He recognized her, so she did not have to show her ID as she shuffled by. Generally, Fang would have said hello, but she was on a mission that night and would not stop for anyone. It was going to be a difficult evening.

After taking the stairs to the second floor, Fang walked briskly to the prison block, passing by several empty interrogation rooms. She found Agent Sovina waiting for her at one of the monitoring desks, which kept careful video record of all the prisoners inside of their cells.

Agent Sovina glanced over her shoulder when she heard footsteps approaching and offered a small smile. "Hi, Agent Yun. I haven't seen you in a while. How is everything?"

"It'll be a lot better once this is all over," Fang replied firmly, her brows furrowed. "What're you doing up here all alone? Shouldn't there be more agents posted here?"

"Agent Panoma and Agent Felys are both here, but they went downstairs to get some coffee," Agent Sovina explained before lowering her eyes. "I heard what happened to your…girlfriend. Is she going to be okay?"

"She'll heal, but she's pretty shaken up," Fang replied with a heavy sigh. "I'd like to make whichever one kidnapped her sorry, but I'll just have to be satisfied with locking him up."

Agent Sovina nodded. "I hate this, too. I can't believe it was another agent. I know both of them personally, and even though Agent Dellon was always kind of an ass, I never thought he was capable of something like this."

"People are good at hiding their dark sides," Fang mumbled, shrugging. "I'm gonna interrogate Agent Dellon first and then Agent Young. After that, I wanna interrogate Young's partner. Young has a solid alibi for almost every attack, yet somehow he's been stabbed in the leg and we found him at the scene after Vanille gave someone a pretty good beating. I wanna see how trustworthy Young's partner is."

"I'll get him up here for an interview when you're done with the other two."

Fang nodded, frowning. "I'm gonna warn you about this so you don't try to stop me. I'm gonna rough them up a little, but it's just a test. It would've taken a lot of fight to do some of this stuff."

"I'll cover for you as long as you don't seriously hurt them."

"Thanks." Fang nodded gratefully. "Is Agent Dellon already in the room?"

"Yep. Interrogation Room 4B."

"I dunno how long this'll take, but I'm going in." Fang paused, asking, "Did you run background checks on them both?"

"Yes, but I couldn't find anything useful about either of them. It looks like their records were lost in the changeover," Agent Sovina offered apologetically.

Fang frowned, disappointed. "Then I guess I'll just have to get it out of them."

Xxx

Fang opened the door to the interrogation room and stepped inside before kicking the door loudly shut and leaning back against it.

Agent Dellon jumped, appealing to her with wide eyes. "Agent Yun, this isn't what it looks like. I know they say the hair sample was a match for me, but that's just because I was standing right there when you opened the package. I had nothing to do with this."

Fang stared at him for a long moment before crossing the room and sitting at the table across from him. She slammed the binder she was holding down on the table and glared viciously at the suspect.

"What's in there?" Agent Dellon asked fearfully.

"Evidence that makes you look pretty guilty," Fang bluffed, clenching her fists. "You've got a stab wound right where Vanille said she stabbed her attacker, you don't have any alibis, and you had access to every part of this investigation, including the evidence lab. You could've easily planted all the evidence incriminating Agent Young, so give me a reason to believe you're innocent."

"I'm being framed. I didn't do this," Agent Dellon insisted. "I don't know if Agent Young is framing me or if we're both being framed, but this wasn't me."

"Then tell me about that stab wound," Fang demanded. "Why didn't you report it to NORA or go to the hospital?"

"I didn't think it was a big deal," Agent Dellon explained. "I was mugged on the street by some lowlife. It was dark, so I couldn't see the suspect. I figured it was just some homeless thug who needed the cash, so I didn't bother going after him."

"He attacked you? Talk about that."

"Okay. He grabbed me from behind while I was walking toward my apartment building. He got my wallet out of my pocket and held a knife to my throat. I grabbed his arm and while we were struggling, he swiped at my leg and got enough of me to draw blood. It was just a shallow wound. He barely got the blade beneath the skin. I kicked him with my other leg and tried to apprehend him, but he got away."

"It was so shallow that you didn't need medical attention?" Fang asked skeptically.

"I needed some treatment, but it was so shallow that I didn't bother going to the hospital. My mother is a doctor, so I called her and went to her house. She cleaned and dressed the wound, told me I didn't need stitches, reminded me to keep it clean and sent me on my way. You can interview her. She'll corroborate the story."

"Whose mother wouldn't?" Fang narrowed her eyes. "Assuming that's not made up, don't you think it's suspicious that you don't have a single alibi?"

"No. I'm a single NORA agent who lives alone," Agent Dellon argued. "My alibi is watching sports games, but the TV can't corroborate my story."

"You were off duty during every one of the attacks," Fang commented. "That looks pretty suspicious. Agent Young has an alibi for almost every attack."

"Maybe that's true, but he has a stab wound, too, and he was missing the whole day that your girlfriend was kidnapped," Agent Dellon grumbled angrily. "My wound is too shallow. Vanille said the attacker was limping."

"Unless he was pretending to limp to make it look like a deeper wound," Fang argued. "The way I see it, Agent Young doesn't have a motive and you've got a pretty good one."

"I don't have a motive!" He protested.

"Sure you do. I remember what happened at the Christmas party." Fang narrowed her eyes. "Light rejected you, and she didn't let you down easy. She knocked your lights out right in front of all your coworkers. That must've been embarrassing."

"It was, but that's no reason to do all of this. I'm a grownup who can handle getting rejected, and it's not like anyone would call me a wimp for getting knocked out by Lightning Farron. She's ex-army. I didn't stand a chance."

"Yeah, you didn't," Fang agreed. "I bet this time you wanted to stand a chance. That's why you hired so many people to help you. You wanted to get Light good and scared, but you had to involve us too or you'd be the number one suspect."

"No. That's not true. I don't have anything against you or Captain Villiers. He didn't fire me when I pissed off his fiancée's sister by accidentally telling her I would love to sleep with Captain Villier's fiancée. He didn't even say anything. He's an awesome guy."

"Well, he's not gonna forgive you for this," Fang told him firmly. "You might wanna reconsider and just confess, 'cause I'm gonna offer you a deal to give up Agent Young, and I'm pretty sure Snow and Light won't offer you anything."

"I'm not confessing to a crime I didn't commit," the suspect seethed.

"Fine. Don't confess. There're other ways to solve this problem," Fang told him as she pushed the binder out of the way and stood up. "Get up."

"What?" His eyes widened."

"Did I stutter?" Fang snapped. "Get up. Didn't you wonder why you're not cuffed? I've gotta at least give you a fighting chance."

"Agent Yun, this is illegal," Agent Dellon protested, standing and backing toward the wall.

"Yeah, but I'm a foreigner, and Captain Villiers likes me. I bet they go easy on me." Fang smirked coldly. "It's just you and me here. All the other agents went out for coffee."

"You don't have to do this," Agent Dellon insisted. "I'm not the bad guy. I helped find Vanille, remember? Why would I do that if I wanted her to die?"

"I dunno. I haven't worked out what you've got against me yet either, but you'll tell me soon enough," Fang assured him with a sneer as she suddenly burst forwards.

The battle was quick and fairly conclusive. Agent Dellon tried to defend himself, but in spite of being strong he did not really stand a chance against a trained fighter. His blocks were poorly timed and his stance was not well executed. Even his strikes, which were powerful blows in their own right, exhibited no formal training in martial arts or any style of physical combat. It seemed that he was more used to relying on brute strength alone.

When Fang finally relented, the agent had one bruise on his arm and looked shaken up, but he was otherwise fine.

"You can sit," Fang scoffed, returning to her chair.

"W-What?" Agent Dellon asked.

"Sit," Fang commanded, narrowing her eyes. "I expected you to be a better fighter. Now I'm kind of disappointed."

"I didn't expect you to be so strong," Agent Dellon grumbled, crossing his arms. "That was a test?"

"Sure was."

"Did I pass?" Agent Dellon asked desperately.

"Nope. You failed," Fang replied coldly. "Now you look even more guilty, but not as guilty as you look considering what I've got in this binder."

Agent Dellon shifted uncomfortably. "What's in there?"

"Your past," Fang bluffed.

The agent stiffened. "I-I thought all of that information was lost."

"Well, people think a lot of things, but they're not usually right," Fang exclaimed indifferently. "This sounds like a closed case now that I know all about your life on Cocoon, so why don't you convince me that your past doesn't make you guilty as hell."

"Look, I know that I did some bad things, and I admit, I was a criminal," Agent Dellon offered immediately, "but if you look at my rap sheet, you'll see that I never killed anyone, and I never hurt someone who didn't deserve it. I had a code. I never involved anyone innocent, and I never hurt women or children unless the woman was another criminal who tried to hurt me."

"Or a soldier?" Fang prompted with narrowed eyes.

"Okay, there was that one time that things got out of control, but she was strong, okay? She was strong like Lightning, and she kicked my ass. I was in the hospital and she walked away fine. You've seen my records."

Fang gave a vague nod.

"I've done some bad things in my life, but I never kidnapped anyone, and I never tortured someone to get back at someone who cared about them. If I had something against you, I would've kidnapped _you_."

"But you couldn't kidnap me, could you?" Fang insisted firmly. "So, you took Vanille instead. I bet she looked like a real easy target, but you didn't expect her to stab you back."

Agent Dellon shook his head. "You've got it wrong. I was mugged. If Vanille had been the one to stab me, I would've been limping all week. She said that her attacker couldn't walk very well. At close range, Vanille would've been able to stab her attacker pretty deeply, and only one agent in this building has a deep stab wound in his leg, and he has a pretty sorry explanation of how it happened."

"Thanks for your cooperation. I hope you're not lying," Fang told him with narrowed eyes as she stood. "'Cause if you are, there's no force in this world that'll save you from me."

Agent Dellon gulped. "Everything I've said was true. I joined NORA because I wanted to make a fresh start and do some good. I never thought anyone would find my records. They were completely buried even before Cocoon fell."

"I'll keep that in mind," Fang told him with a shrug as she turned to leave the room.

Xxx

Fang walked back into the hallway and moved toward the monitoring station. She was pleased to see that Agent Panoma and Agent Felys had returned, since she did not think one person should be left alone to guard all of the prisoners who were in lockup.

"That was incredible!" Agent Felys exclaimed as he studied Fang. "You got the suspect to tell you about his past when you didn't have anything. His records were lost."

"He was easy, maybe a little too much," Fang commented with a shrug. "Now it's time to interrogate Young. Between the group of us, he's already been interrogated three times, so maybe he's ready to talk."

"Are you going to rough him up, too?" Agent Sovina asked.

Fang gave a nod. "I've gotta test both their skills, but I won't hurt him unless he comes back and tries to kill me."

"We would come into the room before that happened," Agent Panoma assured her.

"Right." Fang shrugged and turned away. "I'll be out soon."

Xxx

Fang opened the door to the second interrogation room and walked inside. She shut the door firmly behind her and turned to face the suspect, narrowing his eyes.

Agent Young looked up at her with a frown, running his fingers through his curly red hair. "I don't have anything else to say, Agent Yun. I already told Lightning everything that I remember. I don't even know why I'm still here. I have _alibis_. I can't have committed those crimes."

"That's what you say, but alibis only get you so far." Fang sat down across the table from the suspect. "People are good at lying, and it starts to look suspicious when you've got the same person as your alibi for each crime."

"It isn't suspicious if you're on duty and your alibi is your partner," Agent Young insisted. "How could I have gotten away from my partner for long enough to commit any of those crimes?"

"You know, it's a little weird to me that you were the first responder to almost every crime," Fang exclaimed with narrowed eyes. "Can you explain that?"

"Most of the crimes happened on or near Rt. 2, which I patrol every night," Agent Young explained. "Your house is on Rt. 2, and so are a lot of the other crime scenes. Whoever is trying to frame me knows that or they would've chosen a different agent to frame."

"I don't think you were framed, personally. I'm pretty sure it was you," Fang bluffed just to see how he would react. "I just wanna know why."

"It _wasn't_ me!" Agent Young shouted desperately. "I know it all looks suspicious, but I'm telling the truth. I have nothing against Lightning or any of you. I barely know you."

"Exactly, so why would you do all this?" Fang asked seriously. "It's driving me insane. I just wanna know. You're gonna get convicted anyway, so you should just tell me."

"You're bluffing. I'm an agent too, remember? I've been one for longer than you."

"Since before Cocoon fell, you mean?" Fang questioned, pointing to the folder. "I've got it all documented right here."

"You have someone else's file," Agent Young assured her. "I became an agent after Cocoon fell."

"Right." Fang rolled her eyes. "Did you really think I wouldn't find out you were in the army?"

"Me, in the army?" Agent Young laughed wryly, shaking his head. "Now I _know_ you're bluffing. I'm not much of a fighter, Agent Yun. I'm in good shape and relatively strong, but that's where it ends."

"Is that so?" Fang narrowed her eyes.

He nodded firmly.

"Why can't I find anything about your old life?" Fang asked, deciding to stop bluffing.

"A lot of records were lost during the changeover," Agent Young answered. "If you want to know about my past, you could've just asked me. I was just a regular guy. I worked in a pizza shop called Young and Fresh. My father owned it. It was kind of a family business."

"Where's your family now?"

"They live in Korrin. My father just opened a new restaurant a month ago. If you interview him, he'll confirm that I used to work for him."

"Everyone keeps telling me to ask their parents about them like parents don't lie for their kids," Fang replied sharply. "I want to know more about your life on Cocoon. Did you have pets? A significant other? Did you live by yourself?"

"I didn't have pets or a girlfriend, but I lived with my brother. I'm telling the truth about my past, Agent Yun. I worked at a pizza shop. I don't have any army background. I'm not a fighter."

"We'll see about that." Fang stood up. "Let's test you out."

"Agent Yun, if you attack me, I _will_ press charges," Agent Young told her nervously.

"The way I see it, you're the one who attacked me, so I'm free and clear," Fang told him with a cold smile. "Get up. There's no one to protect you. The others all left."

"I know you won't do this, Agent Yun," Agent Young argued gently, refusing to stand. "You won't hit a man if he's sitting down."

"Are you sure about that?" Fang snapped angrily. "You kidnapped Vanille, stabbed her in the leg, and practically left her to die. You made her scared to sleep at night, scared to be alone, barely able to walk…"

"That wasn't me!" He cried in frustration, jumping out of his seat and backing away. "We don't have to do this. There will be more evidence and you'll see that I'm innocent."

"I don't believe a word of that," Fang snapped, pouncing.

Agent Young put his hands up to protect himself and back against the wall, squeezing his eyes shut as he waited. Fang pretended to take several hits at him, but he was not looking at her, so he did not even flinch.

"Don't do this, Agent Yun. Don't ruin your career over this."

"Over _this_?" Fang sneered coldly, suddenly truly angry "You mean don't ruin my career over something as trivial as some lunatic threatening my friends and terrorizing the woman I love? Oh, you're right. That's nothing to get worked up over."

Agent Young merely whimpered, "It _wasn't_ me."

"Put your arms down, you coward," Fang grumbled, taking a step back. "This was just a test anyway."

Agent Young peeked out from behind his arms. "I know, but I'm not the bad guy. Don't risk your career like this when it isn't even me."

"I'm not risking anything. No one's gonna blame me," Fang told him coldly as she threw her fist at his face.

Agent Young breathed in sharply but did not move. Fang stopped inches from the agent's face, watching him as he stared at her fist with wide eyes. When Agent Young realized that Fang was not going to hit him, he sighed with relief.

"Good, Agent Yun. Don't do this to yourself."

"I've heard all I need to for now." Fang turned and stomped out of the room.

Xxx

Fang stepped out of the interrogation room and leaned against the wall, giving herself a moment to calm down. Her heart was beating rapidly, her face somewhat flushed with irritation. Agent Dellon had not angered her like Agent Young, but she could not allow that to cloud her judgment. She needed to cool down and really focus on the evidence and what was possible before she let her gut be the judge of what had happened.

Eventually, Fang was calm enough to walk around the corner and returning to the security station.

Agent Felys looked up immediately. "You've interrogated them both. Who do you think did it?"

"It's too soon for my opinion," Fang replied firmly. "Agent Sovina, is Agent Young's partner here yet?"

Agent Sovina nodded, shifting uncomfortably. "He's waiting in interrogation room 5A. Do you think that Agent Young and Agent Dellon are both guilty? They seemed like they were telling the truth."

"A lot of people are good at lying," Fang replied with a shrug. "I can tell you one thing though. Agent Dellon's not the guy who attacked us in the grocery store. He doesn't have the fighting skill or the coordination. As for Agent Young, he wouldn't fight me. It's hard to tell if he was afraid or holding back."

"So, where does that leave us?"

"For now, we're still in a place where we have two suspects, barely any evidence, and an irritating lack of confessions," Fang replied indifferently. "Both of them claim they're being framed, so the most important thing is to figure out who could've committed which crimes. Agent Dellon is at a disadvantage with no alibis, but he couldn't have committed some of the crimes that Agent Young has alibis for. That means there's a third attacker or Agent Young's partner is a liar."

"I've known Agent Demarc for a long time, since before Cocoon fell," Agent Panoma, a veteran of the force, interrupted. "He wouldn't lie to give someone an alibi, not even another agent. Besides, he and Agent Young have only been partners for a little over a month. They barely know each other."

"I'll keep that in mind." Fang sighed, turning away. "I'll be out soon."

It did not take long to reach interrogation room 5A, and Fang took a moment outside to help herself relax. There was no reason to be upset with Agent Demarc unless he gave her a reason, because it was not necessarily the case that he had falsely provided an alibi to a psychopath.

When Fang finally pushed through the door, Agent Demarc looked up at her. He was a plump, elderly man with white hair and blue eyes. His hands were clenched in his lap and his lips were curved into a nervous frown. He tapped his foot anxiously on the ground until he realized how much noise the gesture was making and then abruptly stopped.

Fang watched him for another moment, narrowing her eyes, before exclaiming, "You know, Agent Demarc, if you want me to think you're guilty of something, you're off to a really good start."

"Sorry. I just get uncomfortable when they call me down for spontaneous reviews like this." Agent Demarc ran a hand through his sweaty hair and tried to smile. "Nothing good ever comes from this. I'm assuming that binder you're holding has my records from the last year. I've been doing everything completely by the look, as I'm sure you can see."

"Yeah?" Fang glared. "Then why're you so nervous?"

"Because I'm getting on in years and whenever a nice young agent invites an older agent in for a spontaneous review, it usually means someone's getting his job." Agent Demarc frowned anxiously. "That's why I'm here, right? Agent Sovina wouldn't tell me on the phone, so I assumed the worst."

Fang shook her head. "You're here 'cause I wanna talk to you about Agent Young."

"Oh." Agent Demarc sighed with relief and slumped in his seat. "Well, Agent Young seems like a fine young man. He's a good, polite agent who always does his job. He never delays in filling out reports and he's completely professional, even with suspects. He has a pretty intense sense of honor and considers it his duty to be one of the good guys, like regular hero."

"The kind of hero who might just get sick of never being recognized?" Fang prompted.

"No, just an honest-to-goodness hero," Agent Demarc insisted. "I'm certain he's completely innocent of all this nonsense he's been accused of. I was with him during all of those crimes."

"You were with him for the entire time?" Fang asked suspiciously.

"Yes, I was. From start to finish, I was with him during each crime."

Fang tilted her head curiously. "So, what about his stab wound?"

"I wasn't there when that happened. He was out sick that day," Agent Demarc replied with a shrug. "However, I can tell you that he didn't commit those crimes. He's a bright man with a promising future. He wouldn't throw it all away."

"All right. What can you tell me about Agent Jake Dellon?"

"Agent Dellon? I don't know him that well. He mostly keeps to himself." Agent Demarc frowned thoughtfully. "I see him in the break room a lot between shifts though. He's always complaining about how he has to do all the grunt work because Captain Villiers doesn't like him."

"Why does he think that?"

"Oh, it's some silly business about the Christmas party," Agent Demarc replied with a shrug. "I was there, but I don't remember what happened. It was so long ago now."

"It was less than two months ago," Fang corrected. "Do you forget things a lot?"

"Now, you listen here, young lady." Agent Demarc narrowed his eyes and sat up very straight. "I may be old, but that doesn't mean that I forget things. I was with Agent Young during all of the crimes."

Fang opened her mouth to reply, but her radio suddenly crackled. Agent Sovina's voice filled the room. "Agent Yun, this is an emergency. You have to get out here right now."

"Am I free to go?" Agent Demarc asked.

"You didn't commit any crimes I know of, so yeah," Fang replied distractedly as she stood and rushed out of the room, leaving the door open for him. When she reached the security station, she looked at Agent Sovina, who was sitting alone. "What's wrong?"

Agent Sovina motioned at the monitors, her face somewhat ashen. "The screens all went black for half a minute. When they turned back on, both Agent Young and Agent Dellon's cells were completely empty. The doors are still locked. We have no idea how they escaped or where they went."

"Did you alert security?" Fang demanded.

Agent Sovina nodded. "We'll be on full lockdown by the time I finish this sentence. Agents Panoma and Felys are already investigating the cells, and all the other agents in the facility are looking for the suspects as we speak."

"The screens were only black for thirty seconds?" Fang frowned, pointing out, "That's not a long time to escape."

Agent Sovina nodded in agreement. "I don't know how they did it."

With a weary frown, Fang pulled her PMC out of her pocket and mumbled, "I've gotta make a call."

Xxx

Lightning walked out of her bedroom, nodding to the NORA agent posted in the hallway, and headed for the stairs. She walked into the kitchen, thinking that her sister would be beginning dinner preparations, but she was surprised to find Snow cooking pasta.

"Hey, Sis." Snow waved cheerfully.

"Hi." Lightning frowned but did not correct him. "Why are you cooking?"

"I thought it would be nice for Serah, since she's really stressed right now," Snow replied with a shrug. "Have you heard from Fang at all?"

"Not yet." Lightning shook her head. "Have you heard from headquarters?"

"No, surprisingly." Snow sighed. "When Agent Young was in charge of the investigation, he called me with every new detail. I'll call after dinner. I don't want to wait until I go in tomorrow morning."

Serah walked around the corner and frowned nervously when she spotted her sister. "Claire, is there news?"

"Not yet." Lightning walked to the sink for a drink of water.

"I hate waiting," Serah sighed as she crossed the room and leaned against the counter next to Snow. "How are you doing with that?"

He smiled faintly. "Well, the water is boiling nicely."

Serah giggled. "I guess pasta isn't that hard."

He wrapped one arm around her, pulling her close. "No, it's not."

Suddenly the sound of two different ringtones filled the room.

Snow picked up his PMC and frowned at Serah. "Sorry. I have to take this. It's NORA."

"Don't worry. I'll watch the pasta," Serah told him gently as she took the wooden spoon from him and began to stir the water around so the noodles would not stick together.

"Thanks." He kissed her cheek and picked up the phone.

Meanwhile, Lightning picked up her own phone. "What is it?"

"Light, it's Orion. I have some bad news." He paused, waiting for some kind of reaction, before explaining, "I just spotted the black car driving through the city. I tried to follow, but I lost him. I don't know if it's the bad guy or just a hired hand, but there's someone out there driving that same car again."

"I'll look into it," Lightning told him firmly. "Text me the street where you last saw the car."

"Do you want company? This could be dangerous for a solo mission."

"I work better alone," Lightning replied.

"Okay. Well, call me later to let me know what happened."

"Right. Bye." Lightning hung up the phone and turned around in time to see Snow walking back into the room. "Was that Fang?"

"No. It was headquarters," Snow replied with a worried frown. "There was a security breech. Both suspects escaped."

Lightning narrowed her eyes. "Orion spotted the car in the city again. I'm going out to look for it."

"Claire, that isn't a good idea," Serah argued gently. "You shouldn't go alone."

"I can go with you," Snow volunteered.

"No. Stay here with the others," Lightning ordered as she made her way toward the door and began quickly dressing in her jacket and boots.

"When will you be back?" Serah asked nervously. "Keep in touch with us."

"I might not be able to," Lightning mumbled as she grabbed her keys and headed for the door. "This time, I'm going to catch him. I don't care what it takes."

"Do you at least have a plan?" Snow asked with a frown.

"Yes."

Lightning slammed the door shut behind her.

Serah hugged herself, leaning against the counter. "I can't take this anymore, Snow. What if something happens to her? And what if both of the agents really are working together and one of them comes here to hurt us?"

"I'm not going to let anyone hurt anyone, but we have to tell Sazh and Vanille," Snow murmured gently. "I'll watch the pasta. You go out in the living room and tell them both to come in here."

Serah nodded, biting her lip. "We're going to get through this, right?"

"Of course, we are." He smiled and leaned forwards to kiss her cheek. "I promise."

With a weak smile, Serah turned and walked into the living room.

Xxx

Fang frowned, listening impatiently to the ringing on the other end. "Come on, Light. Pick up your PMC for once."

The ringing went on several more times before a recorded voice explained, "_The party you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please leave a message at the tone or call back later._"

The Gran Pulsian hung up and dialed the number again, but the results were the same. With an irritated sigh, she dialed a different number instead.

"Hello?"

"Serah, it's Fang," the Gran Pulsian explained quickly. "I'm still at the NORA Headquarters. Something bad's happened. The suspects both escaped. Is Light there?"

"No," Serah replied nervously. "We already knew that they escaped. Someone called Snow to tell him, and then Orion called Lightning and told her he had spotted the car. She went out to look for them."

Fang frowned, a bad feeling growing in her gut. "All right. I'll try to call her PMC."

"Okay. Please let me know when you hear from her. I'm worried."

"Don't worry, Serah. I'm sure Light's fine," Fang assured her before they exchanged goodbyes and hung up the phone. She mused that she should have told Serah the truth about trying to contact Lightning, but there was no sense worrying her even more.

"Agent Yun, a call just came in on the emergency line," Agent Sovina suddenly interrupted as she listened carefully to the headphones that she wore. "Oh no!"

"What is it?" Fang demanded.

"We have video footage of Agent Farron confronting one of the two suspects near an ATM. They fought each other, but he knocked her unconscious and dragged her off screen," Agent Sovina explained with wide eyes.

"Which suspect?" Fang demanded.

Agent Sovina shook her head, frowning. "According to the dispatcher, he was wearing a mask."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

Author's Note: This is the 9th installment of Crimes of Passion. There will be one more chapter after this one, so this is the second to last. I hope you enjoy it! :)

Disclaimer: FFXIII plot and characters belong to Square Enix. Everything else is all mine.

Fang walked into the smallest of the three conference rooms on the first floor of the NORA Headquarters. She paused when she entered, casting a look around the room, then frowned. Snow and Agent Sovina were the only two present.

"I thought there'd be more agents here," Fang commented, pursing her lips. "Where's everyone else involved in the case?"

"Captain Villiers thought it would be better to send the other agents out to look for Agent Farron," Agent Sovina offered gently, a worried look settled across her features. "We want to find Lightning as soon as possible."

"We're only here to see the footage and figure out what happened," Snow explained to Fang. "The others don't need to see this. They need to find Lightning."

"Let's watch it quickly then," Fang exclaimed as she sat down in one of the chairs. "I wanna get out there. The sooner we see this, the sooner we'll figure out where he took her. You don't think the bastards were dumb enough to keep her where they held Vanille, do you?"

Snow frowned. "I already sent agents there, but they're still working to get inside the mine. There was a collapse near the only entrance."

"Well, that's convenient." Fang rolled her eyes.

"Let's watch the video," Snow suggested, nodding to Agent Sovina.

Fang nodded, sighing, "The collapse is probably a trick anyway. I'm sure they want another 'You fell for it' moment."

Agent Sovina quickly set up the video to play on the large screen at the end of the table. She had already seen the footage, but as a dark alleyway filled the screen, she found herself completely engaged. The video had been taken by an ATM, so the area was not lit very well and there was no sound. It was impossible to see what lay in the shadows.

A small reading at the bottom of the screen detailed the time as the moments passed by, but suddenly a dark figure moved in front of the camera. The suspect, a man in a black hoodie with a familiar mask pulled over his face, stood directly in front of the camera and moved closer. It was clear that he was looking at the lens even though his eyes were concealed.

Fang clenched her fist. "He's taunting us. He knew we'd watch this."

"I'm sure that's why he chose to attack at an ATM," Agent Sovina agreed.

Snow leaned forwards in his seat, frowning with concern.

The suspect suddenly glanced over his shoulder and then took several steps back, placing his hands on his hips. He threw his head back as though in laughter and took another step away.

Lightning entered the scene, fists clenched and eyes blazing. She took a step toward the suspect, her mouth moving viciously.

The suspect did not appear to stop laughing. Not intimidated in the least, he suddenly pounced, clearly attempting to spook Lightning. When she did not even jump, he pulled back at the last moment.

Lightning spoke again. When her lips stopped moving, she surged forwards, pushing the suspect roughly off screen. For several breathless seconds, the video showed nothing but an empty alleyway. Seconds later, the battle returned to the screen. The suspect shoved Lightning back by the arms and swiped at her head, but she ducked beneath his blows and attacked. He attempted to overpower her with brute force, but Lightning held her ground as they met several times, two powerful forces colliding as they simultaneously blocked and attacked with skill gained from years of combat training.

"Watch them. They're trained practically the same way," Fang pointed out with furrowed brows. "That means the one she's fighting was definitely GC or PSICOM."

Snow nodded, but did not speak as he watched Lightning and her attacker prove themselves to be somewhat evenly matched. Neither could really get a hold of the other, though they each tried to subdue their adversary with a series of throws and holding techniques. Each movement by one was met with an effective block and counter by the other, and the battle was so quick that it was hard to follow. Eventually, they were left standing across from each other, neither out of breath but both growing tired.

Lightning tilted her head suddenly, probably listening to whatever the attacker was saying. The ex-soldier narrowed her eyes but did not move. Then she began to speak, guarding her emotions to appear calm and collected. They were playing a game of control, and whoever lost themselves first would be the loser.

The attacker pounced and the battle began again, but it lasted only a few moments longer. One misplaced step was Lightning's undoing and the attacker grabbed her by the shoulders and threw her into the ATM, smashing her head into the counter with such force that she crumpled to the ground. He watched her for a moment before gesturing triumphantly at the camera. Then he pressed his masked face close to the lens to show them that he knew they were watching. He paused for a moment before dragging Lightning dramatically off screen.

Fang was silent for a moment, contemplating, before she voiced, "That was way too easy. I bet Light had some kind of plan."

"It didn't look easy to me, Fang," Snow disagreed.

"Well, it _was_," Fang snapped angrily. "No one could take down Light like that. It must've been a trick."

"I didn't see anything in the video that could tell us where she is now," Snow explained, changing the subject quickly. "Agents have already searched within a five block radius of the ATM and there's no sign of Lightning, but there were some witnesses who claim they saw a black car of the same make and model driving around tonight."

"I still can't believe we let both of them escape," Fang grumbled angrily. "We've gotta go home, Snow. Vanille, Serah, and Sazh are alone in the house."

"They're not alone. There are agents there to protect them.

"Yeah, well, so far we've got two traitors. Who's to say there aren't more?" Fang demanded. "We dunno why Agent Young was involved in this, so there could be others, too."

Fang immediately tugged her PMC out of her pocket and sent a message to Vanille, asking a question only her partner would know. When she received the appropriate response, she sighed with relief and asked if everything was all right at the house.

Snow watched Fang for a moment before he decided to check on Serah as well. As he was typing, he asked, "You interviewed both of them right before they escaped, right? Do you have any idea which one kidnapped Lightning?"

Fang thought carefully. "Yeah, I know exactly which one it was."

"Can you be sure?" Snow asked, surprised.

"Yeah. I tried testing their strength, but one was untrained and the other wouldn't fight, and both of them could've been lying. It could only have been one of them on the tape though."

"How do you know?" Snow asked with wide eyes.

"It's easy," Fang replied before explaining.

Xxx

There was nothing but the dark of her closed eyelids, but slowly she began to blink. Hazy images filled her mind as light flooded through her lids, and soon the world was clear.

Lightning looked down at herself with a sigh. She barely needed to study her surroundings to know exactly where she had been brought. The room was cold and dark with a cement floor, and there were broken splinters of wood everywhere from when Fang had smashed the wooden table with her staff several days earlier. The table had not been replaced, and the wooden chair to which Lightning was tied was a new addition. Her hands were bound behind her back, her legs bound at the ankles and the knees to the chair behind her with skillful knots. The attacker had clearly learned since allowing Vanille to escape.

There was a quiet breath on the other side of the room. He was just waiting for her to notice him standing in the shadows watching her, but Lightning did not look up. He wanted to surprise and frighten her, but he was not as good as he thought. It took much more to upset Lightning Farron, and she thought it might be a good idea to let him think she was really so oblivious.

A few moments passed, and when Lightning was finally ready, she looked up at him. She did not feign a jump of surprise, because she would not give him the pleasure.

The attacker tilted his head to the side, clearly studying her through his mask. His voice was deep and calm. "You're not surprised to see me standing here. I'm disappointed."

Lightning maintained a neutral expression and watched him. His voice was much deeper and raspier than that of either of the suspects, but his physique was unmistakable. Of the two they had captured, one was distinctly taller than the other, and it was the shorter one who stood before her.

"Are you impressed now?" He asked, posing condescendingly. "When this began, you were convinced you would catch me, but I'm the one who caught you. I have won. You failed to protect your friends and family, and now you will die without knowing who I am."

The ex-soldier merely stared at him, her expression unchanging.

"This is the moment I've been waiting for," he admitted, eerily calm. "You're the one I wanted from the start, but I knew I couldn't take you until the end. I had to wait until you wanted me so badly that you would come alone. It was so exciting watching you all struggle to figure out who I am, and you made things so much easier by involving the _bounty hunter_. That gave me time to do everything I needed while your friends were searching for him."

Lightning listened, but her face remained unchanging.

"This is more boring than I expected, since you won't betray any emotion. I can see through it, Lightning. I know you're worried about your friends. Should I make you worry more before I kill you?"

She merely stared at him.

He watched her for a moment before laughing. "You _do_ know who I am, don't you? You're close to my equal, so I wouldn't be surprised. Tell me which one you think I am."

"It doesn't matter which one you are," Lightning told him firmly.

"Yes, it does. It matters more than anything. Which one am I? Who committed what crimes? Why did we do it? Tell me who I am and I'll tell you everything, but if you're wrong, I'll kill you right now in a terrible way."

Lightning shrugged indifferently. "I'm not wrong."

"Are you sure? Agent Yun couldn't tell."

"I'm sure she knows," Lightning replied calmly. "It's obvious."

"Then which one am I?"

"Agent Young," Lightning replied confidently.

He paused for a moment before lifting his hand to remove his mask, revealing a curly head of red hair, bright blue eyes, and a calm smile. "You really are almost my equal. I knew that you would figure it out. I would let you live if I could, but it's too late now. You're going to die, because no one will find you here. Agent Yun doesn't know which one I am."

"You lured me to the ATM because you wanted Snow and Fang to see that video," Lightning replied with a scoff. "The second they see the footage, they'll know which one you are. You're shorter than Agent Dellon."

"That would be true, but I'm not _that_ much shorter. The video will be at night, blurry, distorted. They won't be able to tell." Agent Young shrugged. "Now I suppose you want to know which of the crimes I committed and which ones were committed by Agent Dellon. Do you have any guesses?"

Lightning merely looked at him.

"No?" He could not help but smirk. "Maybe you aren't my equal after all. I committed all of the crimes, every last one of them. I threw the brick through your window. I snuck into your bedroom and moved all of your things around. It was me that you chased through the woods, me who no one could catch. I kidnapped Vanille and held her captive, and now I have you."

Lightning narrowed her eyes. "You have alibis for all of the crimes."

"That's right, I do. I made sure of that." Agent Young continued to smile. "My partner, Agent Demarc, has a little secret he doesn't want anyone to know. The old man's a drunk. He shouldn't be working for NORA or anyone right now. He drinks at home, he drinks at work, and he even brings a flask to restaurants when he goes out to eat with his ten year old granddaughters. I could smell the alcohol on his breath when we met, and the first time that he fell into a deep, drunken sleep while we were on patrol, I knew I could do anything I wanted. Whenever he woke up, I would generously remind him of what happened while we were on patrol, and no one was ever the wiser."

"You're saying that Agent Dellon had nothing to do with this?" Lightning prompted.

"That depends on who you ask. _I_ know that he had nothing to do with it and now you do, too, but everyone else is going to know that he was guilty of all the crimes. I have alibis, after all." Agent Young smirked coldly. "This is what actually happened. Agent Dellon is the one who escaped from NORA. He somehow knocked me out and dragged me here. I don't really know how it happened, but he kept me tied up outside. I couldn't escape, so I waited for someone to find me. In the middle of the night, I saw him dragging your unconscious body into this room. I don't know what he did while you were in there, but I heard a lot of screaming, so he must have tortured you."

Lightning narrowed her eyes.

"I had to save you, Lightning, so I managed to get untied. I ran into the room to confront him, but it was too late. I got so angry when I saw what he had done to you. While I was apprehending him, Agent Dellon tried to kill me with the hunting knife that he stole from Vanille. Thank goodness I took some self-defense classes. He didn't make it through the struggle. I had to kill him. It was self-defense. I only wish I could've saved Lightning, too. She was so full of promise."

"That's a good story, but no one will believe you," Lightning told him firmly.

"Why not? I'll be the only one who has anything to say about it, and Agent Dellon had just as much access to the crime lab as the rest of you. He could have switched out my blood, which is the only piece of evidence that actually ties me to any of the crimes."

"Where is Agent Dellon right now?" Lightning asked with narrowed eyes.

"He's tied up outside of this room. I told him my story too. He said that they wouldn't believe me, but I'm very convincing. I've been practicing for months. Agent Dellon has nothing. He doesn't have alibis, he used to be a big-time criminal, and after what happened with you at Christmas, everyone thinks he's guilty. I don't even have a motive. Why would I do this?"

Lightning glared at him. "That's a good question."

"We'll get to that." Agent Young chuckled. "Don't you have any other questions about Agent Dellon? Don't you want to ask me why he has a stab wound, too?"

"I don't really care," Lightning told him firmly.

"Yes, you do." He laughed. "Poor Agent Dellon. I was going to frame him from the start. Ever since I saw what happened at Christmas, I knew that I was going to get away with multiple homicide. It's just beginning with you, you know. After I kill you and Agent Dellon goes down for my crimes, I'm going to wait as long as necessary and then go after the others again. Without you, they won't stand a chance against me. Even Agent Yun isn't as strong as she likes to pretend she is."

Lightning mused that he was wrong about that, but she did not comment.

"Anyway, it really is too bad for Agent Dellon. I only stabbed him in the leg after the Gran Pulsian bitch stabbed me. When I first decided who to kidnap, I started with your sister because I knew that she was the weakest of your group. When I couldn't take her, I picked Vanille because I thought she was just as weak as your sister if not more. I was apparently wrong. As soon as she stabbed me, I knew Agent Dellon had to have the same wound."

"When did you stab him?" Lightning demanded, wondering if it was all a ruse to take the suspicion off of Agent Dellon. "Vanille knocked you unconscious. My informant saw your face. You've been in custody since they captured you."

"Yes, she knocked me unconscious." Agent Young suddenly clenched his fists, the calm disappearing from his features as he became furious. "I shouldn't have underestimated that little bitch. When I see her again, things are going to end very differently."

"When did you stab Agent Dellon?" Lightning demanded firmly. "There wasn't time."

"_There wasn't time_," Agent Dellon mocked, rolling his eyes. "I obviously hired someone to do that. I called it in right after the bitch stabbed me, while I was still at my apartment cleaning the wound. I told them to wait until later that night because I knew he was at headquarters, but that was a mistake. I should've lured him out. If you had found him stabbed before they found me, it would've made all the difference."

Lightning frowned, not sure if she believed him.

"I should've killed the bastard I hired to _mug_ Agent Dellon, too," Agent Dellon murmured, calming nearly instantly. "He barely broke the skin, which made me look even guiltier because Vanille saw me limping and knew it was a serious wound. I guess I'll have to be more specific next time."

"There won't be a next time," Lightning told him firmly.

"Who's going to stop me?" Agent Young taunted. "You? You're defeated, Lightning. Do you have any more questions before I kill you?"

"Why do all this?" Lightning asked. "You said before you have no motive, but no one commits a crime without a motive. It's too risky."

"Maybe I'm just insane," Agent Young suggested, but he laughed when Lightning rolled her eyes. "No, you're right. There is a motive. I admire you, Lightning. I might even go as far as to say that I have fallen in love with you. I recognized you immediately when you joined NORA. I was a soldier just like you, and we worked together a few times before Cocoon fell, but you didn't recognize me. From the first time we met, I've known that you and I were exactly alike. We're both smart, organized, and hard-working, but it's more than that. We're both cold. We're both dark, willing to do whatever is necessary to achieve our goals. We're both angry."

Lightning rolled her eyes. "You don't know me."

"You're right," he agreed. "I _don't_ know you. Not as well as I thought I did, anyways, but you still have all the traits that I always wanted in a partner. You're smart, strong, terrifying. You can inspire fear in men twice your size, and you have the strength and the finesse to back it up. The best part is that you're not afraid of anything. That's what I thought, anyway, but now I realize that that's not true. You're afraid of losing your loved ones, and that's the only thing that sets the two of us apart. That's the only part of us that is not equal."

"We're nothing alike," Lightning told him firmly.

"Yes, we are!" He began to laugh. "We're so alike that it hurts. We're perfect for each other. You're great as an agent, Lightning, but think what you _could_ be. We're both too good for this job. We could be doing so much more."

"Like stalking, kidnapping, and killing people?" Lightning scoffed. "You didn't do this because you're in love. You did this to prove that you're better than me."

"That's not true." He shook his head slowly. "I was trying to prove that I was good enough for you, but in the process I realized that I _am_ better than you. You couldn't catch me, and you didn't know that it was me until you had the DNA evidence. You never even suspected me, even though I was always there. I was the first person on the scene to _every_ _single_ crime."

Lightning shrugged calmly. "You're not as good as you think you are."

"Oh, I'm every bit as good as I think I am. In fact, there is only one person who surprised me during all of this," Agent Young mused thoughtfully. "Vanille. She's far from my equal, so the two of us could never be together, but it's been a long time since someone has actually surprised me. I had no idea that she could defend herself."

"So, you did this to prove something to me?" Lightning asked with narrowed eyes.

"Yes. I did this to prove that you should've noticed me," Agent Young snapped, suddenly angry. "You ignored me, glared at me, and made it clear that you wanted me to go away even though I was always polite to you. I did things for you, bringing papers to Captain Villiers or telling others where you were going. I even brought you things—chocolates, flowers, fresh coffee—but you never noticed."

"You never brought me anything," Lightning grumbled.

"The other officers always assumed what I brought was for everyone," Agent Young replied. "You would have known if you were paying attention. You didn't even know my name until this started, until you needed me. Before that, we worked together for months and you never knew my face."

"What did you have against Fang and Snow?" Lightning asked calmly. "They didn't do anything to you."

"Didn't they?" He narrowed his eyes. "Snow didn't think you and I would be good for each other. When I heard that he wanted to set you up with someone at Christmas, I told him that it should be me, but he disagreed, so he set you up with Agent Dellon instead. I knew it wouldn't work between you and Agent Dellon. He's an asshole and a womanizer. I couldn't imagine why Snow would think it was a good match. Then I realized that he didn't originally want to set you up with Agent Dellon and I felt a little better, because whoever it was must have been some strong, amazing, intelligent man—someone worthy of you. Then I found out that he had originally wanted to set you up with Agent Thomas, a weak, socially awkward idiot! I couldn't believe it. I knew he wasn't good enough for you because he was too nervous to even go on a date with you. He could never be worthy."

Lightning furrowed her brows. "What about Fang?"

"Fang." Agent Young shook his head. "This entire thing is Fang's fault. Agent Thomas was too afraid to talk to you. The two of you never would've gotten together and he wouldn't have been in my way, but she had to go and set the two of you up as soon as she found out that Snow had originally wanted you to be with Agent Thomas. The bitch should've minded her own business."

"What are you talking about?" Lightning demanded angrily. "Fang didn't set me up with anyone."

"Yes, she did." Agent Young rolled his eyes. "You never saw her push Agent Thomas into you at the Christmas party, but I did. That's why he spilled his drink. Fang set the two of you up, and now you're together and I can't have you."

Lightning pursed her lips, because she had been keeping the relationship a secret just fine before her stalker became involved.

"He isn't worthy of you, Lightning. How could you be with a man like that?" Agent Young demanded angrily. "He's worthless. He might as well be a woman."

The ex-soldier remained silent.

"Do you have any other questions?" Agent Young asked, calming again. "No? Then it's time for you to die. Don't worry. I won't be the one to pull the trigger. Agent Dellon is going to do that. He's the one who did all of this, remember? He's the one who's guilty. Your corpse is going to be all the proof they need."

Lightning did not betray any emotion.

"When this is all over, you should stay for a while," Agent Young informed her with a completely calm face. "Your spirit can watch as I tear apart your friends' lives one-by-one. Agent Thomas will pay, too. He never deserved you. You should've been mine from the start."

With that, Agent Young opened the door to the makeshift cell and walked out of the room, slamming the door shut behind him.

Xxx

He parked far away from the house and waited for hours, watching air cars come and go through binoculars and waiting to see who would return. So far, everything had gone according to plan.

There were only three air cars that had come and gone from the house that day, and all of them were missing from the snow-filled driveway. He looked down at the open manila folder in his lap, paging through the images and files. The first air car had been a sleek black vehicle and the man inside was ex-covert ops, one of the highest ranking soldiers who had worked for several different government organizations on Cocoon at varying times in his life. He looked young for his age and his skill was unmatched, but now he was gone, so he was not there to protect them. The second car had contained Lightning Farron, and ex-soldier who, according to her file, was strong, lethal, and fearless with a strict and noble sense of morality. Lightning would have been a threat, but she too had left. The third air car had contained Captain Snow Villiers, former leader of the vigilante group NORA and current leader of the local NORA Department. The passenger in the car had been Yun Fang, who was by far the most interesting of the bunch if for nothing else because she was a former Pulse l'Cie who had lived the lifespan of over five women. Little was known about her, but she was considered quite strong. Without the three of them, one of whom had already been neutralized, those remaining in the house would not stand a chance.

After waiting another twenty minutes to make sure that no one would return, the masked man climbed out of his car and crouched low, sneaking toward the house. He had been told that they would not be expecting him, but he was too smart to trust that after so many years of working with the most vicious of criminals. Whatever happened, he was not going to go down for Hash Young, no matter how much money the ex-soldier managed to scrounge up and offer him.

The masked man crept toward the house, reaching the front stoop without incident. He glanced around, pleased that there were no neighbors close enough to see him, before he crouched before the door and made quick work of picking the lock. He pushed the door open and slipped inside, shutting the door silently behind him before he darted into a corner and knelt down, listening carefully.

"Hello?"

He stiffened, eyes narrowing, and waited patiently.

"Oh, Fang, thank goodness you called," a light voice drifted from down the hallway. "I was getting really worried. Tell me that you found Claire."

_Claire_. He glanced around the corner and mused that the voice was coming from the kitchen, where there must be a phone. According to Young, only one person called Lightning by her real name. Serah Farron was in the kitchen.

"You didn't find her yet?" Serah asked, her voice falling. "O-Oh. Okay. Do you know who kidnapped her?"

"Ask her if it was Dellon or Young."

The second voice was deep, distinct, and unmistakably the voice of Sazh Katzroy. He was not one of the victims that Young wanted dead, but if he got in the way of killing Serah, he would have to be neutralized in any way possible.

"Fang, please do everything you can to find Lightning. Don't worry about us. We'll be fine here. Vanille is upstairs sleeping. Yes, I promise I'll check on her. You can call her if you want, Fang, but she's sleeping. Okay, I'll go look in her room. I just need to take some cookies out of the oven…"

He waited another moment, listening carefully, before he slipped around the corner and up the stairs. Not wanting to take anything for granted, he slowly moved through the second floor, peeking in each of the empty rooms. There was no one else there, so he climbed stealthily up the attic stairs and pressed his ear to the door, listening carefully. There was not a sound to be heard, not even the television which had been recently added to the room.

Cautiously, he turned the doorknob and pushed the door open, glancing inside. The bed was empty but unmade, the covers pushed carelessly aside. With a frown, he crossed the room, his footsteps completely soundless, and placed his hand on the bed. It was still warm with body heat. A footstep on the other side of the room caused him to spin around, and that was when he noticed another door. A toilet flushed and he listened to the sound of someone laboriously dragging themselves to the bathroom sink, clearly limping as they grunted with effort. It was _Dia Vanille_, the first victim that he was supposed to kill. He had been warned that she was more dangerous than he would expect.

He crept carefully toward the bathroom, placing one hand on the doorknob as he used the other to reach for his gun. It would be a quick, quiet kill.

Xxx

Serah hung up the phone and sat down at the table with a sigh.

"What did she say?" Sazh asked with a frown.

"They don't know anything yet," Serah replied nervously, biting her lip. "They're still searching the mines. He didn't bring Claire to where he brought Vanille."

"Do they know which suspect kidnapped her?"

"Fang said that they had no way of knowing for sure," Serah replied hopelessly, crossing her arms. "They're doing everything they can. Snow is staying at headquarters in case anyone has any more information and Fang is going to go out with the others and help them search."

Sazh nodded, sighing. "We better go up and check on Vanille. She's been sleeping a long time now."

"I bet she's awake by now," Serah suggested with a smile. "Her show is on in a few minutes. Ever since she got hurt, she has been completely hooked on one of the afternoon soap operas. I guess it's a period drama, and even though it's based on Cocoon history, it reminds her of the past."

Sazh smiled weakly. "Well, I'm glad she has something to do while she's waiting to get better."

Serah stood up and crossed the room, taking a pan of cookies out of the oven and checking to make sure they were finished before she placed them on the counter to cool. "Okay. Those are out of the oven. I'll go check on Vanille."

"I'll go with you," Sazh mumbled as he picked up his gun off of the table. "I promised Snow I would keep both of you safe."

"Oh, let me just turn off the oven," Serah gasped, her eyes widening. "I can't believe I almost forgot—"

A loud crash sounded from the attic, following by several thuds and a loud grunt.

"W-What was that?!" Serah cried in anguish.

"Vanille," Sazh gasped, immediately racing toward the stairs. "Come on. We've got to get up there now!"

"This can't be happening again," Serah muttered as she followed Sazh up the stairs.

The two of them ran as fast as they could, sometimes jumping two stairs at a time, until they finally reached the attic. Sazh moved in front of Serah, holding his gun tightly in his hand, and leaned forwards, listening through the closed door. He could still hear grunting and a fierce male voice, so he threw the door open and burst inside.

Serah followed him and gasped in surprise. "W-What's going on?"

"Nothing much," Fang exclaimed as she took a step back and clapped her hands together. "I was just taking care of something here. Vanille, you can come out now."

Vanille limped slowly out of the bathroom and glanced around Fang at the tall man wearing a black hoodie and a mask. He lay on the floor, hogtied with thick cords and struggling viciously.

"Bet I'm not the one you expected, huh?" Fang asked as she kicked the attacker lightly in the ribs. "Now stop your struggling. You're not gonna get out of there."

"What happened?" Serah asked with wide eyes. "You were… I was just on the phone with you. You were at the NORA Headquarters."

"Well, that's what I said on the phone, isn't it?" Fang asked with a smirk. "Our black hoodie here isn't the only one who wants us to think he can be in two places at once. I saw him coming up the driveway to pick the lock, so I used my PMC to call you. I knew you'd still be on the phone when he got inside, so I made sure to ask about Vanille."

Vanille hobbled closer to Fang, studying the attacker. "Fang, you've got him all tied up."

"Yep. He's not going anywhere," Fang exclaimed with a smile as she wrapped her arm around Vanille's shoulders.

Serah furrowed her brows in confusion. "I'm glad you're here, Fang, but I thought you were looking for Claire."

"There are plenty of agents looking for Light right now," Fang replied with a frown. "I won't make any difference. Judging by the way our two attackers like to operate, I knew that as soon as we left the three of you alone, one of the two of them would be creeping into to the house to hurt you all. So, I went to headquarters to watch the video of Lightning getting kidnapped and I've been here ever since."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Sazh asked with a frown.

"If I had told you, what just happened couldn't have happened," Fang replied with a shrug, glancing at the attacker with a smirk. "Let's get that mask off of you. I don't wanna play this game anymore."

The masked man stopped struggling, so Fang tugged the mask off of his face and took a step back, narrowing her eyes.

"Who the hell are you?" Fang demanded, narrowing her eyes.

"Not who you were expecting?" He smirked, studying her with cold brown eyes. "Don't bother questioning me. I'm not going to tell you anything. I want a lawyer when you arrest me, and I don't know who Lightning is. I don't know anything about any kidnapping."

"So, what were you doing in here?" Fang asked with narrowed eyes. "You expect me to believe you were just going for a stroll and picked the wrong house to rob?"

"I have nothing to say to you."

"Are you sure?" Fang asked with narrowed eyes. "Chances are the others are gonna pretend you're the mastermind behind this later, so you might as well tell me something."

He glared at her for a moment before sighing. "Oh, what the hell? I'll escape before you get me to headquarters anyways. I'm an assassin for hire. People call me to take care of loose ends. All they have to do is give me a name and wire money to my account, but this bastard went way farther than that. I've got all your records, government records. I knew every person who lives in this house."

"So, you were just hired for this crime? You had nothing to do with the rest of it?"

He nodded, shrugging. "You don't have to believe that if you don't want, but it's true. I do know who Lightning Farron is, but I have nothing to do with her. I was told to come here and kill Serah Farron and Dia Vanille."

"Well, I'm glad to hear that. Now I won't feel so bad about this." Fang kicked him in the back of the head, knocking him swiftly unconscious. "You're under arrest, by the way."

"What're we gonna do with him?" Vanille asked with a pout. "How do we get him to the NORA Headquarters if he's unconscious?"

"We don't have to do anything," Fang assured her gently as she picked up her PMC. Before she had the chance to dial, the device buzzed, notifying her of a text message. She looked at the screen and her eyes widened in surprise.

"What is it?" Serah asked nervously. "Is it about Lightning?"

"I have to call Snow," Fang exclaimed, lifting the phone to her ear.

"Why?" Sazh demanded, placing his hand on Serah's shoulder. "What happened?"

"They found Agent Dellon."

Xxx

Agent Young looked at himself in the reflection of a dark piece of glass and frowned. His forehead was bleeding and one of his hands was badly bruised. In retrospect, a mine filled with rocks, debris, and large beams of wood was not the best place to hold someone captive. He should have learned his lesson from Vanille.

With a sigh, the agent turned away. He walked out of the small room into one of the larger passageways of the mine. It only took him two minutes to reach the closed metal door behind which he held the woman who he had thought was perfect for him.

A calm smile covered his features, and as he pushed the door open, he began, "Well, Agent Dellon had a little more fight in him than I thought. I ended up having to shoot him—"

Agent Young suddenly paused, his eyes widening in surprise.

Lightning was still seated in the wooden chair, but the ropes that had bound her lay on the floor, most of them cut and some simply torn and frayed at the edges. The ex-soldier sat completely relaxed, her PMC in her hand as she typed rapidly.

When Agent Young stopped speaking, Lightning looked up at him. "Go on. Tell me about how you had to shoot Agent Dellon."

He narrowed his eyes. "You had a knife."

"I had a lot of weapons," Lightning replied with a shrug, looking back at her PMC. "You should've bothered to check."

"What are you doing?" Agent Young demanded angrily as he took a step forwards. "Are you trying to tell them to come find you? I'll kill you before they arrive."

Lightning rolled her eyes. "I was updating my online status and checking my email. I already told everyone where I am and emailed an audio recording of your confession to both Fang and Snow. Now I'm playing a game."

Agent Young clenched his fists. "You think you've escaped? You think you've beaten me? I can still kill you."

Lightning shrugged, not bothering to look at him.

"You are _still_ underestimating me!" Agent Young suddenly screamed, his face becoming a mask of fury. He reached for his gun, snapping. "It's too late, Lightning Farron. You're dead."

"Wrong." Lightning tugged out the gun she had hidden under her jacket and pulled the trigger without a second thought.

Agent Young flinched and closed his eyes, but seconds later he opened them again with a frown. Lightning was sitting in the chair staring at him, her gun leveled as his chest.

"You missed." Agent Young exclaimed.

"I don't miss," Lightning replied firmly, standing from the chair and taking a step forward him. "That shot was a warning. Drop your gun."

"No, you didn't shoot me because you see that we're perfect for each other," Agent Young smiled. "You should've shot me. Now I'm going to escape and kill everyone you love."

Agent Young threw the gun at her expecting that she would drop her guard and try to catch it, but she merely stared at him. The agent moved several times, testing to see whether or not she would shoot him, before he turned and burst out of the room. Lightning pulled the trigger and hit him in the shoulder, but he did not stop running.

With a roll of her eyes, the ex-soldier shoved her PMC into her pocket and sprinted after him.

Xxx

"Which way do we go, Captain Villiers?" Agent Sovina asked as she navigated the hallways of the abandoned mine. "There are a lot of tunnels here."

Snow examined the map on his PMC and glanced over his shoulder several times before pointing down one of the tunnels. "We should go this way. The room where Lightning said she was being held is down there."

"Have you heard from her since she sent this message?" Agent Sovina asked worriedly as she reached for her gun at her side. "What if the suspect came back?"

With a disturbed frown, Snow exclaimed, "We have to hope that Lightning could handle herself if he came back for her. When we questioned Agent Dellon, he said that he was left under the impression that Agent Young was going to kill Lightning as soon as he was finished with him, but since Agent Dellon escaped, we don't know what he'll do next. It's possible that he figured out we know his identity and he just decided to run away."

Agent Sovina nodded and turned her eyes forwards, creeping through the debris littering the abandoned hallways and keeping her eyes open. There was a chance that Agent Young, apparently a very dangerous man, was still lurking about, and she was at the front of the line. She did not want to be an easy target.

"I'm surprised Lightning isn't here to meet us," Snow commented as he came closer to the area indicated on the map. "We should've brought Fang. She's already been down here."

"Did she decide to stay at the house with your friends and fiancée?"

Snow nodded, smiling faintly. "Overall, we're a pretty protective bunch, but all of this really put us over the edge." With an awkward laugh, he added, "I think it'll be pretty hard for us to get back to living normally."

"I can imagine," Agent Sovina agreed with a sympathetic smile. "At least it'll all be over soon."

"I hope so."

The group of agents followed Snow around the corner and paused when they were only a few feet from the room which had been turned into a makeshift cell. The door was open, but they could not see inside at the angle at which they stood. Snow paused, putting his hand up so that the others would wait, and then signaled forwards. The agents each took different positions, some watching the front of the group and others watching the rear, and Snow held his weapon at ready as he suddenly rushed forwards.

Once he was inside of the room, he sighed with relief. "Lightning, you're okay."

Lightning rolled her eyes. "It took you too long to get here."

He frowned apologetically before turning to look at the suspect. Agent Young was unconscious and tied to the chair where he had presumably kept Lightning. His shoulder was clearly bleeding, and from the looks of it Lightning had done a rather poor job at patching it up with Agent Young's black hoodie.

"What happened?" Snow asked curiously.

"He tried to run," Lightning replied with a shrug, pursing her lips. "Fang said that they captured someone else at the house."

"Another hired one," Snow explained, furrowing his brows. "I think we'll have to be on our guard for a while now just in case he has others around. If Fang were here, she would say she wishes we could just shoot him so we would know this was over for sure."

Lightning nodded in agreement, because she felt the same way. "He needs to be put in maximum security, not in Troth. We don't have any facilities here."

"I agree." Snow sighed. "I'll have to fill out the paperwork. For now, we'll lock him up at headquarters and post guards twenty four seven."

"He already escaped from headquarters once," Lightning argued, shaking her head. "Put him in one of the high security cells. Make sure that he's handcuffed at all times. I'll take the night shift for guard duty and watch him until they can transport him in the morning."

"Are you sure you want to do that?" Snow asked with a worried look. "We've all been through a lot. I understand if you just want to rest."

Lightning shook her head. "I won't rest until I know this is over."

Snow understood, so he did not argue with her. He turned to the others, exclaiming, "The suspect is unconscious and injured. Call a bus."

"I still can't believe Agent Young was behind this," Agent Sovina exclaimed with a frown. "He seemed so sweet all the time. I never would've suspected that he would do anything like this. In fact, when we first met, I wondered if maybe we could go out sometime."

Lightning was unsure how to respond, so she shrugged. "Now we know."

Snow nodded in agreement, somewhat at a loss for what to say now that they might all finally be safe again. "I hope this is really over."

"We won't know for a while," Lightning grumbled as she took out her PMC and began to send another text. There was someone else who needed to know that she was all right.

Snow watched her curiously for a moment, wanting to ask about what he had heard on the audio recording of the confession but thinking that it was better to let her talk about it when she was ready. He had no idea why she would really want to hide a new relationship from all of them, but she most likely had her reasons.

As soon as a medical team arrived, the suspect was transported to the hospital, where he was treated for his bullet wound. The wound was more serious than Lightning had thought, so the suspect had to remain in the hospital overnight. He was handcuffed to the bed, but Lightning sat in the room for the entire time because she refused to believe that he was actually defeated. If they did not exercise every precaution, he would come after them again, and if they were not ready, they would all be dead.

Xxx

Lightning pulled her air car into the snowy driveway and set the vehicle down. She studied the number of cars in the driveway and realized that there was one extra. By the looks of the car, Orion had decided to drop by either to see if everyone was all right or to find out what exactly had happened. Though she was not unhappy to see him there, Lightning wished that no one was around. There was nothing that she wanted to do besides climb up the stairs, crawl into her bed, and sleep. She would not admit it to her friends, but she was completely exhausted by the entire ordeal and sincerely wanted it all to be over.

Unfortunately, Lightning Farron was not one to simply trust that everything was over once the bad guy confessed. Before daring to go inside of the house, Lightning walked nearly the entire property, searching for any footprints or disturbances. There were still NORA agents surrounding the house, and many of them nodded politely to her when they saw her. When Lightning was satisfied that there were no signs of intruders on her property, she walked back around the house and unlocked the front door.

As Lightning stepped inside, she was unsurprised to find her sister and all of her friends crowded into the living room waiting for her. Everyone but Hope and Dajh were present, as it seemed clear that no one wanted to bring them back to the house if the danger had not yet ended.

"Claire!" Serah suddenly stood up and bounded across the room, throwing her arms around her sister with such force that she almost knocked her back out the door as she blubbered, "I'm so happy to see you. I was so worried! When they told me that you had been kidnapped, I didn't know if I would ever see you again. How could go on your own like that? Are you okay? Did he hurt you? I'm _so_ glad to see you."

Lightning staggered backwards, awkwardly returning her sister's embrace. "I'm fine. The kidnapping was part of my plan."

"You could've told us that," Fang exclaimed from where she was seated next to Vanille on one of the couches. "We were all worried. We didn't know what to think."

The ex-soldier shook her head. "Agent Young had ways to find out exactly what we were planning, but he couldn't read minds. I knew that the only real way to trick him was to make sure no one knew what I was planning. He thought that I was weaker than I am, so I knew I could defeat him."

Snow sighed wearily. "I can't believe it was Agent Young. I didn't know for sure if it was Agent Dellon, but I never would've thought such a good agent who seemed like such a nice guy could do something like this."

"That's how it usually is," Orion interrupted from his seat on the easy chair across the room. "I'm glad to see that you're all right, Lightning. You had me worried for a second there. I was ready to come in and rescue you."

"Did you know where she was?" Serah gasped.

Orion nodded. "I followed them there. I knew she'd been kidnapped."

"Then why didn't you call to tell us where she was being held?!" Serah snapped angrily.

"If I did, you wouldn't have a confession," Orion replied gently. "I trusted Lightning to have a plan."

"Were you surprised when it was Agent Young, Claire?" Serah asked suddenly. "He seemed so nice."

Lightning shook her head. "I knew that he was involved as soon as we matched the blood. I'm still not convinced that Agent Dellon wasn't involved either."

"We really don't have any evidence tying him to the crime scenes other than the hair sample," Snow argued gently. "We never had anything on him. He wasn't even involved in any of this until he filled in for Agent Young."

"Now that we corroborated that Agent Demarc was an alcoholic and got him to admit that he doesn't actually remember most of his time patrolling with Agent Young, I think we can at least be pretty sure that Agent Young committed most if not all of the crimes," Fang interrupted with a sigh. "I knew it was him anyways. My gut told me not to trust him after I interrogated him. I should've listened right then, but it doesn't matter now."

"What made you think he was guilty?" Snow asked with wide eyes.

Fang shrugged, furrowing her brows. "When he wouldn't fight me, I knew that he was trying to hide something, but I really knew it was him when I threw a punch at his face and he didn't even blink. He wasn't scared at all. He was just looking at my fist, waiting to see what I'd do. I knew something wasn't right after that."

"I just hope this is all over," Vanille exclaimed suddenly, a tinge over anxiety in her voice although she tried to hide it.

Fang frowned sympathetically and wrapped her arm around Vanille's shoulders. "It is over, Vanille, I promise. We're all safe now. I can feel it."

Vanille rested her head against Fang's shoulder and closed her eyes. "I hope your feeling's right, Fang."

"My feelings are _always_ right," Fang replied humorously.

Sazh smiled faintly before sighing. "This _better_ be over. I'm too old to handle any more excitement."

Everyone laughed as Serah insisted, "You aren't old, Sazh."

Lightning crossed the room and sat down on the couch, leaving plenty of space between herself and the others. Serah followed her and sat down beside Snow, snuggling close to him.

"What are you going to do now?" Orion asked suddenly. "Assuming this is over, what are your plans for the future? Something like this could happen again. All three of you NORA agents deal with dangerous criminals all the time, and the rest of you live here." He paused, frowning. "Do you really _all_ live here?"

"The house has a lot of rooms," Fang insisted with a chuckle.

Everyone else seemed to twitter with amusement, though they were all still suffering under the weight of the ordeal they had just faced.

"I'll tell you what _I'm_ going to do," Serah exclaimed suddenly, her voice more firm than usual. "I'm going to start taking martial arts classes. If anything else like this happens again, I am _not_ going to be the only person in this house who can't defend herself."

"That's a great idea, Serah," Vanille exclaimed enthusiastically. "Fang and I are gonna do that, too."

Fang smiled faintly, hugging Vanille close. "You're gonna have to wait a while, Vanille."

Vanille pouted. "I know, but I'm still excited. I hope time flies by really quickly while I'm healing, 'cause I already know I'm gonna get really bored."

"It'll go by fast. I'll make sure," Fang promised her gently, kissing her cheek as she held her even closer and rested her cheek against the top of her head.

"Maybe I should take some martial arts classes, too," Sazh murmured to himself. "I could get Dajh into it, too. Then I wouldn't have to worry about him so much."

"That might be a good idea," Snow nodded in agreement. "We could all stand to brush up on our fighting skills."

Lightning rolled her eyes. "I'm fine."

"It never hurts to learn some new tricks, Light," Fang teased, laughing when the other woman glared at her.

Orion smiled faintly, pleased that everyone was in good humor. "I think you're all going to be just fine. I'm glad to see that everyone's all right and the bastard is more or less caught. Light, I'll be in touch. I'm going to keep working on this case for a few more days just to make sure that you really have the right perp behind bars. After that, I'll resume work on the other investigation."

The ex-soldier gave a firm nod but did not speak.

"I guess I'll get going then," Orion commented as he stood up and turned toward the door.

Lightning nodded, watching him for a moment before exclaiming, "I considered your offer again."

He paused, turning to look at her. "And?"

"I'll take it," Lightning replied calmly.

"Really?" He smiled warmly. "Good. This will change everything. With someone like you, we'll definitely be able to get things rolling and do some good."

"What offer?" Serah asked with a frown. "Does this have something to do with the other investigation, Claire?"

Lightning shook her head. "No. It has nothing to do with you."

"Then what is it?" Serah demanded. "You said no more secrets."

With pursed lips, Lightning exclaimed, "Snow, I'm resigning from NORA."

"What?" Snow gasped, complaining, "But you're one of my best agents."

"NORA isn't the right place for Lightning," Orion explained gently. "She'll be a lot happier working with me."

"As a private investigator?" Serah asked with a frown.

Orion shook his head. "That's kind of a side thing. I work for a different organization. It's top secret for now, but I'm sure you'll hear all about it soon. I should get going unless anyone needs something. I have other cases to work on that I've been putting off for weeks."

Everyone glanced at each other before shaking their heads.

"Thanks for everything," Vanille told Orion suddenly. "You were the one who brought me to the hospital right? You saved my life."

Orion smiled faintly. "It was the least I could do after chasing you down the street. Pretending to be a bounty hunter was the worst idea I've ever had."

Vanille giggled.

"I'm sure I'll see you all again," Orion told everyone else, waving as he walked out the door.

"Well, I've got some news," Fang exclaimed suddenly. "Sorry about this Snow, but I'm resigning from NORA, too."

"What?!" Snow's eyes widened. "Why? You two are my best agents. You can't _both_ leave."

Fang laughed lightly, shaking her head. "I haven't been around long enough to be one of your best agents, Snow." Glancing at Vanille as she tightened her arm around her, she explained, "Besides, I've got other things to worry about now. I'm gonna be taking care of Vanille for a while."

Vanille's eyes widened. "Fang, you don't have to quit your job for me. I can walk around and do things by myself. Besides, Ripper and Kiwi will be big enough to protect me soon, right boys?"

The two puppies, who were curled up in the corner of the room, lifting their heads curiously and glanced at Vanille before snuggling back into a sleeping position.

"Yeah, some help they'll be," Fang joked as she hugged Vanille close. "Besides, it's not just about you. I thought I'd like NORA a lot more than I do, but one of the other agents suggested I do something else and I kinda like the idea. Maybe we could start a new branch of NORA."

Snow raised his brows. "Doing what?"

"We'll talk about it in a while," Fang assured him with a shrug before leaning back against the couch and tugging Vanille closer to her. "For now, I just wanna relax."

"That's sounds like a good idea." Vanille grinned and cuddled close to Fang, pressing against her and closing her eyes.

"I'm glad this is over." Snow wrapped his arm around Serah and grinned at her. Sobering, he complained, "I don't know what I'm going to do now that I'm down two agents though."

"I'd be willing to fill one of those positions," Sazh suggested. "I'm still looking for a job."

"I thought you were 'too old for this excitement," Snow teased, laughing lightly.

Sazh merely smiled. "Well, you need someone to watch all the monitors and catalogue evidence, right?"

Snow smiled faintly, nodding his head. "I'm sure we can find a place for you in whatever department you like. Does that mean you'll be staying here for a while?"

"Well…" Sazh glanced cautiously at Lightning. "That would be nice, but I don't wanna impose."

Lightning rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You're all here all the time anyway."

"Great!" Vanille exclaimed enthusiastically, surprising everyone. "Then you won't mind if Hope lives here over the summer, right Lightning? 'Cause I kinda accidentally told him he could…"

With a sigh, Lightning replied firmly, "Hope can live here over the summer if you and Fang move out."

Vanille pouted, but Fang exclaimed, "Don't worry, Light. I promise we'll be out of your hair eventually, and you'll miss us once we're gone."

Lightning scoffed, but somewhere deep inside, she knew it was true.

Xxx

It was late in the night and all was completely silent except for the sounds of the house occasionally creaking with the heat flared on. Vanille sat on the bed, the covers drawn up to her chest, and glanced around her dark bedroom, her heart thudding nervously as her gaze was drawn into the shadows. Fang had left for just a moment to check in with Lightning downstairs and make sure there were no signs of an disturbance. Vanille had told her that it was fine for her to go and she would not be scared, but now that she was by herself, she regretted that decision.

A floorboard creaked outside the bedroom door and the handle turned, jiggling as though the person outside was unused to the way that the attic door sometimes stuck.

Vanille gasped, sitting up even though it hurt her leg, and watched as light from the hallway flooded the room.

"Sorry," Fang mumbled as she shut the door quickly behind her. "I didn't mean to blind you with the light like that. Serah's insisting we leave on all the hall lights so no one thinks we're sleeping tonight."

Vanille forced a smile to hide her relief. "It's okay, Fang. It didn't bother me."

Fang nodded, smiling faintly, and crossed the room to change into her pajamas. When she was finished, she walked over to the bed and climbed in on the other side. As Fang snuggled close to Vanille, who could only lie on her back due to discomfort in her leg, the younger woman lay down again and let out a sigh.

"You okay?" Fang asked gently as she moved closer and ran her fingers through her hair. "You looked pretty scared when I opened the door."

Vanille bit her lip, looking embarrassed. "I didn't know if it was you. What if there was someone else working with Agent Young?"

"If there was, we might not know for a while, so it's smart to pay attention like that," Fang told her gently, leaning to the side and pressing a light kiss to her lips. "But don't be scared now that I'm here, 'cause I'm gonna protect you. No one's getting through me."

With a faint smile, Vanille whispered, "Someday I'm gonna protect you, too."

"Yeah?" Fang grinned teasingly, turning on her side and moving closer to kiss her again. "So, just how strong are you gonna get?"

"Really strong," Vanille assured her with a giggle. "Strong enough to take down big guys like Sazh and Snow."

Fang laughed lightly, sliding her fingers down Vanille's cheek and grinning when the other woman leaned into her touch. "D'you think you'll ever get stronger than me?"

"Maybe," Vanille replied teasingly. "I'll get so strong that I'll be the one who goes out hunting and scares people and you can stay home."

With a snort, Fang insisted, "We can hunt together if you want, but I'm _not_ becoming a housewife."

Vanille smiled brightly, always pleased when Fang suggested that they would someday be married. "Wait 'til we have kids. Then I'll get really strong, 'cause I'm gonna be so protective."

Fang nodded, appraising her. "I could see that. I remember the way you got pissed at that guy in the woods for calling me brutish. I can't imagine what you'd do if someone tried to hurt one of your kids."

"Exactly," Vanille nodded firmly.

The two of them grinned at each other for a moment before they burst out laughing.

"Let's not have kids for a little while though, okay?" Fang murmured, smirking. "Light'd kill us. She's mad enough about the dogs half the time."

"We definitely have to move out first," Vanille agreed, laughing. "We'd be the coolest parents though."

"Yeah? Wait 'til they're in school." Fang joked, "We'd be getting calls from teachers left and right saying, 'Hi, today your child tried to tell our class that his mothers are over five hundred years old."

Vanille bit her lip, giggling. "What would we say?"

"I'd say, 'Who says we're not?'" Fang replied with a chuckle, shaking her head. "Our kids probably won't like school. I'm still convinced they'll all be freakishly strong pranksters who like hunting and making jewelry."

With a gasp, Vanille exclaimed, "I didn't even think about the pranks. Fang, you can't teach our kids to play pranks."

"What? Why not?" Fang pouted. "Playing pranks is part of their heritage. It'll be in their blood, Vanille—figuratively. You can't deny them that. It's their destiny."

Vanille shook her head firmly. "No pranks. I'll make them sign a contract."

Fang shrugged indifferently, smirking. "With me as their other parent, they'll sign the contract and then play a prank as soon as you turn your back."

"I know, but it'll still make me feel better," Vanille replied with a warm smile as she leaned close to Fang, pressing against her as best she could.

"Of course, you're gonna be one of those moms that makes a face and the kid feels so guilty that they'll never do anything bad again," Fang surmised, "Considering how often you used to pretend to cry to get me to do what you wanted."

"I would _never_ do that," Vanille protested, biting her lip to hide her smile.

"Of course not." Fang grinned, leaning close and kissing her cheek. "Anyway, we better stop talking about this, since it's a ways away."

"How long is a ways?" Vanille asked, biting her lip.

"I dunno," Fang eyed her curiously. "How long do you want it to be?"

"I dunno," Vanille replied, joking, "I've only been waiting like five hundred years."

Fang burst out laughing and hugged Vanille close. "Have it your way. We can have a family whenever you want, but we do have to move out first."

"Okay," Vanille chirped happily, kissing Fang's cheek. "Goodnight, Fang."

"Goodnight." Fang eyed her suspiciously.

"What's wrong?" Vanille pouted.

"You're not gonna suddenly want kids next week, are you?" Fang asked.

Vanille shook her head, giggling. "I wanna wait a while, Fang. Just not too long. Anyway, goodnight!"

"Goodnight."

Fang smiled faintly and pressed close to her love. She wrapped her arm around Vanille's waist, holding her securely so that she would feel safe, and finally began to drift off to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Author's Note:

1. Here is the final chapter of Crimes of Passion! I hope you like it. Thank you so much to everyone's whose read this and to those who have reviewed it. You all make me want to keep writing! :)

2. As a side note, whenever I originally said Valentine's Day was, I'm going to change it so it's maybe another week or so after the bad guy has been caught. Later, I'll go back and edit the other chapters to reflect that, but for now just keep that in mind. Anyway, I hope you like the chapter!

Disclaimer: FFXIII characters and plot belong to Square Enix. Story plot and OCs are mine.

"Serah, we're going to be late!" Snow called up the stairs with an amused sigh.

"I'll be right down!" Serah called frantically from the bedroom. "I swear, I'm almost packed. I would've come home earlier but I had so much to do at school today."

"I know. Don't worry!" Snow replied gently, laughing as he turned to Fang, who was sitting on the couch nearby. "Are you sure you don't mind if we go? You, Vanille, and Sazh will be alone in the house for the entire weekend. After everything that happened…"

"It's fine," Fang assured him, grinning as she joked, "But add Dajh to the mix and it's gonna be a weird Valentine's Day."

Snow nodded, chuckling. "What are you going to do?"

"Oh, I've got some nice things planned," Fang replied with a smile. "Don't you worry."

"If Sazh and Dajh say here, will it mess up your plans?" Snow asked curiously.

"Not really." Fang smiled impishly. "It's a big house. I really don't think Dajh'll be able to hear any…_strange noises_ from down here."

Snow laughed awkwardly. "Right."

"Snow, I swear I'm almost ready!" Serah suddenly shouted as she raced into her bathroom.

"It's okay, Serah!" Snow replied, laughing. "Take your time."

"So, she's happy about the romantic trip, huh?" Fang asked with a smirk.

"Yeah, she thought it was a great idea. I'm really glad I could find something at the last minute. There were barely any places that still had rooms open." Snow sighed, lowering his eyes. "Are you _sure_ you don't mind if we go? We could always wait another week to make sure things have really settled down."

"We'll be fine, Snow. I promise," Fang assured him. "I've got a good feeling about this. We definitely caught the bad guy."

"If you're sure…" Snow grinned eagerly. "I actually am really excited about this trip. Serah and I never get a chance to be alone."

"Yeah, I'd be excited, too." Fang gave him a sly look, leaning closer and lowering her voice. "Remember, pay real close attention to Serah this weekend. If she starts snuggling close and looking to take things farther, you're getting married anyways."

Snow flushed. "R-Right, but I'm pretty sure she wants to wait. I mean, we both do."

"I know. I'm just saying." Fang chuckled, shaking her head. "You never know what might happen."

Vanille suddenly came out of the bathroom on her crutches, moving much more quickly now that she was used to the devices. When she saw that Snow was standing near the stairs with a suitcase at his side, she pouted. "Snow, you and Serah are leaving already? I thought you'd stay for dinner."

"Actually, we have dinner reservations at the resort at six," Snow replied apologetically. "We could all have a big family dinner when we get back though. Besides, Sazh and Dajh should be back by dinnertime, right?"

"Probably," Fang agreed, motioning for Vanille to come and sit with her. "Don't worry about us, Snow. You and Serah just have a great weekend, and remember what we talked about. You never know what might happen."

"What did you talk about?" Vanille asked curiously, plopping down at Fang's side and trying to scoot closer to her.

"Oh, nothing," Fang replied with a playful look, sliding closer to Vanille and wrapping her arm around her shoulders. "It's nothing important. I just gave him some good advice."

"Advice?" Vanille studied Fang carefully before turning to Snow. "Whatever she told you, don't listen."

"Hey!" Fang pouted, nudging Vanille's side. "I give great advice."

"I know, Fang," Vanille replied with a giggle, leaning to the side and hugging her tightly. "But if you won't tell me, it must be something bad, so Snow shouldn't do it."

"It's not bad, just private," Fang protested with a grin.

"Oooh!" Vanille's eyes lit up with realization. "Snow, are you and Serah gonna take the next step?"

Snow flushed. "Uh, I'm not—well, we're really not…"

"Have you ever been with someone before?" Vanille pried.

"Well…" Snow looked away awkwardly.

"'Cause if you haven't, there are definitely some things you should know about girls—"

"Vanille, Snow and I already had a really long talk," Fang interrupted with a smile, hugging Vanille closer.

"Oh, okay!" Vanille smiled reassuringly at Snow. "Don't be nervous, Snow. Fang's really good. If she gave you advice, you'll be fine."

"Yeah?" Fang teased, smirking at Vanille.

Snow placed his hand on the back of his head, smiling awkwardly. "It's really not—"

"Okay, I'm ready!" Serah exclaimed as she suddenly appeared at the bottom of the stairs. She set down her large suitcase and looked at Snow. "What's wrong? Your face is all red."

"Nothing's wrong!" He replied quickly, clearing his throat. "Anyway, we should get going now. We don't want to miss dinner."

Serah nodded happily, hugging Snow's arm as she waved to Fang and Vanille. "We'll see you on Sunday. Tell Claire I'm sorry I didn't get to say goodbye. She's in the shower right now."

"Will do," Fang replied, saluting Serah and grinning at Snow. "You kids have fun."

"We will!" Serah replied innocently as she began to tug Snow toward the door. "Let's go."

"We can't forget our bags," Snow reminded her as he pulled gently away and picked up both suitcases.

"Wait, Snow, I can take my own," Serah insisted, moving closer.

Snow held the bag away from her, shaking his head. "You don't have to do anything this weekend, Serah. This is my chance to show you how much I appreciate you."

With a dreamy smile, Serah exclaimed, "You're so sweet!"

"Only because I love you," he replied with a warm smile.

Serah bit her lip shyly. "Let's go. I'm so excited!"

The couple walked out the door together, shutting it behind them, and Fang began laughing. "Well, aren't they cute."

Vanille nodded, asking curiously. "Do you think they'll do it?"

"I dunno," Fang glanced at her, shrugging. "It's hard to tell what they want to do."

"I guess it doesn't matter." Vanille giggled. "I just don't get it. Why wait until you're married? No one ever did that in Oerba."

"Well, technically the priests said we were supposed to, remember?" Fang teased. "It's just that none of us listened very well."

"But no one's telling them they have to wait, so why do they _want_ to?" Vanille asked with a smirk. "Not waiting is way more fun."

Fang laughed, hugging her close. "I dunno. It's just a different culture, I guess. So, are you ready for tomorrow?"

"Ready for what?" Vanille pouted. "We can't go camping. We're just gonna watch movies, right?"

"We're not _just_ gonna watch movies," Fang chastised, poking her in the side. "We're gonna have a lot of fun. I picked out some really perfect movies."

"I'm sorry we can't go camping," Vanille murmured, glancing down at her leg. "We've only got five to seven more weeks to go. At least the doctor said it's healing right."

"That's really important," Fang agreed, snuggling close to her. "So, what do you want for dinner tonight? I'll make anything you want. I'm sure Sazh and Dajh will like anything."

"I don't want you to make me anything. I want to cook together," Vanille reminded her with a frown. "I'm not helpless, Fang. I'm just hurt."

"No one said you were helpless. I was just trying to do something nice for you," Fang replied, feigning indignation before her smile returned. "You can help if you want, but what do you wanna eat?"

"Hm…" Vanille rested her head against Fang's shoulder. "I dunno. Lemme think."

"All right." Fang kissed the top of Vanille's head and hugged her closer, closing her eyes. "You think, and we'll just stay like this for a while."

Vanille made a noise of agreement, smiling happily as she hugged Fang tightly and cuddled into her arms.

Xxx

"Here's some salt," Vanille murmured, passing the salt shaker to Fang and watching carefully as the other woman added more than was written in the recipe. "Not so much, Fang!"

"What?" Fang turned to look at her, asking cheekily, "You're not sick, are you?"

Vanille giggled, shaking her head. "Dajh doesn't like it that salty, remember?"

"Something's wrong with that kid," Fang joked.

With a smile, Vanille leaned against Fang's arm and closed her eyes. "It'll be fun having Sazh and Dajh living with us again. Dajh is so cute! How long do you think they'll stay here?"

"Probably just until Sazh finds an apartment," Fang suggested, grinning as she added, "Maybe they'll stay until Light kicks them out. It looks like we'll be here for a while now that I'm not working anymore."

"You can go back to work if you want," Vanille protested. "I won't make you stay."

"I can't just go back," Fang reminded her, "I quit."

"Yeah, but you know Snow'll take you back in a second," Vanille insisted, grinning. "You were a really good agent."

"That's what Snow said, but I didn't have that much time to be good at it."

A key turned in the lock and the two women quieted, both glancing cautiously into the living room. Although everyone had grown a bit more used to being safe again, everyone still flinched at the slightest sounds. It would be a long time before anyone in the group could fully recover from the ordeal with Agent Young.

The door opened and a familiar voice shouted, "Hello? Anybody here?"

"We're in the kitchen," Fang shouted.

The sounds of eight paws suddenly slammed against the stairs as the two puppies raced down into the living room and began barking fiercely.

"It's just us, boys. Remember Dajh?" Sazh asked, laughing.

"Kiwi! Ripper! I missed you guys!" Dajh shouted excitedly.

Vanille picked up her crutches and moved away from Fang so that she could see the front door better. She smiled happily as she watched Dajh dive onto the floor and begin to pet both puppies as the three of them rolled around. The two dogs were yelping excitedly, their tails wagging furiously.

Sazh closed the front door and hung up his coat. When he noticed Vanille, he smiled warmly. "Hi. How's everything going here?"

"It's good. Nothing weird happened today," Vanille replied enthusiastically. "We're just making some dinner. There's enough for everyone."

"Yay! I'm _so_ hungry," Dajh exclaimed dramatically. "When can we eat?"

"It'll be ready in about ten minutes," Fang replied from the kitchen.

Sazh smiled at his son, who was still rolling around with the dogs. "Don't break anything, son. Lightning will be upset if you do."

"I know, daddy!"

With a nod, Sazh walked into the kitchen to join Fang and Vanille. "Wow! That smells good."

"Thanks. We've been cooking for a while." Vanille smiled faintly. "How was Hope?"

"He's all right, but he's pretty nervous about tomorrow." Sazh chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "I guess there's a Valentine's Day dance at the school. He's bringing one of his classmates and really wants to impress her so she'll go out with him."

"Did he decide to take her to dinner or go to the movies?" Fang asked, grinning.

"Uh…" Sazh thought for a moment. "I think he said they were going to the movies."

Fang smirked. "Everyone's taking my advice. I'm just such a great confidant."

"You always get everyone in trouble, Fang," Vanille protested with a grin, teasing, "What if Hope tries to kiss that girl and she doesn't want him to and it ruins their first date?"

"Relax. He won't try to kiss her unless she gives him a signal. I heard him and Snow having a real long conversation about it," Fang assured her. "Sazh, what about you? Any plans for Valentine's Day?"

"Well, there's a cool family exhibit at the local aquarium," Sazh replied with a shrug. "Dajh seemed really excited about it, so I got tickets. I want to keep him interested in science and learning as long as possible. After that, we'll just stay in for dinner and maybe watch a movie or something." He frowned awkwardly. "Does that…interfere with your plans?"

Fang laughed, shaking her head. "Shouldn't be a problem. Just keep him out of the attic."

"Yeah, we'll be up there having a movie night since I'm hurt." Vanille sighed glumly. "I wish we could go somewhere. I just wanna walk around."

"You'll get better eventually," Fang assured her, leaning to the side to kiss her cheek. "Then we can go anywhere you want."

Suddenly there was a loud crashing sound from the living room.

"Dajh!" Sazh suddenly cried as he raced into the room, fearing the worst after everything that had happened.

"I'm okay!" Dajh insisted immediately.

Sazh, followed quickly by Fang and Vanille, immediately spotted Dajh on the floor with the dogs. Nearby, there was an overturned end table with a broken leg. The glass vase on top of it had shattered.

"What happened?" Sazh asked. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Dajh nodded, biting his lip. "I'm sorry, dad! I was playing with the dogs and then Ripper tripped me by accident and I fell and knocked over the table."

"We better clean this up before Light gets home," Fang commented immediately. "Otherwise, she'll make the dogs live in the woods."

"I'm home," an angry voice grumbled.

Fang glanced up at the top of the stairs, where Lightning stood with her hands on her hips.

Grinning, Fang exclaimed, "Would you look at that? Light, I didn't even know you were here. Anyway, like I said, we should tell Light about this immediately 'cause honesty's always the best policy."

Vanille giggled behind her hand.

"I'll help clean it up," Lightning told Sazh as she walked past him. "There's a dustpan and a broom in the kitchen."

Sazh nodded, surprised that she was not upset, and ran into the kitchen to get the supplies.

"Are you okay?" Lightning asked Dajh.

The child nodded, scooting away from all the broken glass.

"Good."

"Wow," Fang mumbled, leaning close to Vanille and whispering, "Having a _new friend_ really puts her in a good mood, huh?"

Vanille merely smiled.

When everything was cleaned up, Lightning poured the glass from the vase into the trashcan and warned everyone to be careful walking around before she moved toward the door, grabbing her keys. "I'm going out. I won't be back until Sunday, but I'll be in town. Call my PMC if there's an emergency."

"Where're you going, Light?" Fang teased, since the ex-soldier still had not admitted that she was seeing anyone.

"None of your business," Lightning replied firmly as she walked out and closed the door behind her.

Fang laughed and walked back into the kitchen. "Come on, everyone. Dinner's ready."

Xxx

Vanille's eyes fluttered open and she yawned, shifting around as best she could. She glanced hazily around the room, trying to work out what time it was. The sun was very bright, so she knew that it was probably the middle of the morning. Fang was missing from their bed, but Vanille was not concerned. She knew that her love was most likely in the bathroom or downstairs eating breakfast, since she had been having trouble sleeping in later after waking up so early for work.

A twinge of pain moved through Vanille's leg and she shifted, sliding back against the pillow. With a sigh, she pouted at her leg and grumbled, "Fang and I could be camping right now if it wasn't for you, you know."

Another twinge moved through her leg.

"Oh, yeah?" Vanille crossed her arms. "Well, pain to you, too!"

Fang suddenly poked her head in the door. "Everything all right in here?"

Vanille nodded, laughing lightly. "Everything's fine. I was just having a really important discussion with my leg about taking responsibility for my misery."

"Yeah?" Fang asked with a chuckle. "Well, you tell that leg. Anyway, I've got a surprise for you."

"Really?" Vanille bit her lip excitedly. "What is it?"

Fang pushed the door open and stepped inside holding a large tray. "Breakfast in bed."

Vanille's eyes widened happily. "Ooh! What'd you make me, Fang?"

"It's a surprise," Fang replied teasingly as she crossed the room and sat the tray above her partner's lap, extending the tray's plastic legs so no pressure would be put on Vanille's leg.

Vanille glanced down at the big plate and her eyes widened happily. "Fang, you made me breakfast cakes! How'd you know what ingredients to use? The matrons would never tell us what was in them."

"Well, I did some experiments," Fang explained, chuckling. "This is the fourth batch. It's way better than the first ones I made. They don't taste exactly the same, but I tried my best."

"You brought my medicine, too," Vanille murmured as she noticed the glass of water and the two small pills. "I'm really glad. My leg's starting to hurt."

"You better take it now then," Fang mused as she crawled onto the bed next to her. Then you've gotta try those cakes and tell me what you think."

"I bet I'll love them," Vanille told her enthusiastically before quickly swallowing her morning dosage of pain mediation and taking a sip of water. She noticed that Fang was watching her rather intently, so with a giggle she picked up one of the small, sugar covered blobs of dough and popped it into her mouth. A grin covered her face. "These are really good!"

Fang smiled happily. "I'm glad you like them. I worked really hard."

Vanille nodded happily, taking another one and sliding the plate toward Fang. "Let's share. You used to really like these, too."

"Well, I already had a few, but I guess another won't hurt," Fang joked as she sat up and took one of the delicious doughy treats for herself. She moved closer to Vanille, wrapping her arm around her shoulders. "So, are you ready to have some fun today? I've got a whole marathon of romantic movies planned out. There are some action ones in there, too, just in case we get bored."

Vanille tried to seem cheerful even though she really wished they could have gone camping. "That sounds like fun, Fang. We should start with a few romantic ones, then watch an action movie. Nothing scary though."

Fang nodded. "I don't think I'll wanna watch any scary movies any time soon either. After everything that happened, I just wanna relax."

Vanille nodded in agreement, snuggling closer to Fang as she continued eating breakfast. "So, what are some of the movies you picked?"

"Well, the first one is…" Fang trailed off, glancing around the room suspiciously before closing her eyes.

"Fang?" Vanille glanced upwards.

"Did you hear that?" Fang asked with a frown as she opened her eyes and looked around.

"Hear what?" Vanille asked nervously, tensing.

"Nothing like that," Fang assured her gently, squeezing her shoulders. "It sounds like water dripping, like there's a leak."

"Oh." Vanille sighed with relief. "I don't hear any water."

"Are you sure?" Fang sat up and glanced around the room.

"I bet it's just the icicles melting outside, Fang. It's been warm this week," Vanille murmured as she took another bite of her deliciously sweet breakfast. "Let's just lie here and not worry about it."

"Vanille, if there's a leak, it could be a big problem," Fang replied stubbornly, leaning forwards to kiss her cheek. "I'm just gonna look around the room for a second."

"Okay." Vanille shrugged and continued eating.

Fang smiled faintly before standing up and walking around the room, alternating between staring at the ceiling and studying the ground for water droplets. Suddenly she exclaimed, "Got it. Here we are."

"There's a leak?" Vanille pouted as she glanced over her shoulder.

"Yep." Fang placed her hands on her hips. "A nasty one, too. I've gotta take care of this quickly Vanille or the whole ceiling'll be ruined."

"What're you gonna do?" Vanille asked with a frown.

"Well, first I'm gonna have to climb up on the roof and take a look," Fang muttered, sighing. "Then I'm gonna have to see what I can do to stop it. I helped fix Konnor's roof a few times. They did a bad job building his house."

"Do you really have to do all that now?" Vanille asked with a pout.

"Well, I could wait until after breakfast if you want, but I've at least gotta go put a bucket on the floor. This could get serious," Fang replied, crossing the room to give Vanille a quick kiss. "I'll be right back. Sorry about this."

"It's not your fault," Vanille replied with a sigh.

Fang offered an apologetic smile anyway and shuffled out of the room.

Vanille sighed once her partner was gone and ate some more of her breakfast. Glancing down at her leg, she grumbled, "Great. Now our bedroom's broken, too."

Shortly afterwards, Fang bounded back into the room with two different buckets, which she placed strategically under the leaks in the ceiling. She placed her hands on her hips and studied the ceiling for a long time, as though she were trying to will the leaks to stop with her mind. Then she finally walked back across the room to join Vanille on the bed.

"So, it looks a little more serious than I thought," Fang murmured with a frown. "I think maybe after breakfast you should go downstairs for a while so I can take care of this. It might spread across the room if I don't get it sealed up quick."

Vanille frowned, glancing over her shoulder at the ceiling, and gasped with surprise. Even though it did not appear that the water was really dripping from the ceiling at an alarming rate, the entire ceiling on one side of the room was visibly soaked.

"That looks really serious, Fang!" Vanille exclaimed, pouting.

"I know. I better take care of it, but hopefully it won't take me too long," Fang murmured as she wrapped her arm around Vanille's shoulder and pulled her close. "No matter what, we're definitely gonna get to spend some time together. Even if we can't watch movies up here, I'll find something for us to do. I'm not letting anything ruin our Valentine's Day."

Vanille forced a smile. "I bet you can fix it really quickly."

"Sure I can," Fang replied enthusiastically. "We'll be back up here by lunchtime."

"It's a date," Vanille murmured happily, snuggling close to Fang.

Fang merely grinned at her, resting her cheek against the top of her head as she hugged her closer.

Xxx

Several hours later, Vanille was seated on the couch in the living room watching morning cartoons with Dajh, who animatedly sang along with every song performed on the surprisingly musical show in which superheroes rescued civilians from dangerous situations. Whenever one of the heroes took off flying, Dajh would jump onto the couch, throw his arms above his head, and dive off before tearing around the room making whooshing noises. Vanille thought that Dajh was absolutely adorable, but she was so bored. It had been forever since Fang had sent her downstairs to stay with the others while she was trying to get the leak under control, and Vanille was beginning to feel very discouraged about the prospect of a pleasant Valentine's Day.

"Vanille, do you want some grilled cheese?" Sazh asked as he poked his head out of the kitchen.

"I want some, daddy!" Dajh gasped, turning to face his father. "What about me?"

"I'm already making you some, little man," Sazh replied with a chuckle before glancing at Vanille. "Are you hungry? There's plenty to share."

Vanille nodded, smiling gratefully. "Thanks. I'd love some. Can you make one for Fang, too? I bet she's hungry after working hard upstairs."

"Sure. I'll make her some." Sazh gave an encouraging smile before returning to cooking.

After glancing at the show that Dajh was watching one last time, Vanille dragged herself off of the couch and picked up her crutches. She moved quickly into the kitchen and sat down at the table before glancing up at Sazh.

"Didn't want to watch any more of Dajh's shows?" Sazh asked with a look of amusement. "If you're ever a parent, you'll have to get used to watching that stuff all the time. He watches reruns of Heroes Unite every night for hours."

Vanille giggled, grinning. "That sounds cute."

"Yeah, it _sounds_ cute," Sazh agreed with a chuckle. "But it gets not cute really fast. Anyway, how are you doing? You look pretty bummed."

With a vigorous nod, Vanille explained, "I just wanted to have a nice Valentine's Day. Fang and I were gonna go camping but we can't since I'm hurt, so Fang planned this really cute movie marathon for us. Now there's suddenly a leak in the ceiling, so we're probably not gonna be able to spend any time in our room at all tonight."

Sazh frowned. "Well, I'm taking Dajh to that exhibit. You two could always have your movie marathon down here in the living room. Or if you want, Dajh and I could sleep up here tonight and you could have the basement. We could put the TV in your room down there for the night."

"You'd let us take the basement?" Vanille asked with wide eyes. "But that's your room."

"Well, I think it'd be better for you to sleep in a bed," Sazh exclaimed, his eyes drifting over her bandaged leg. "It's a lot safer than the couch out there. You might roll off in your sleep otherwise."

"Maybe we'll be able to sleep in our room. I bet Fang fixes the leak by tonight," Vanille exclaimed enthusiastically before pouting. "But then she won't get to spend any time with me."

"I'm sure everything'll be all right," Sazh assured her as he scooped a grilled cheese sandwich off of the frying pan, put it on a plate, and placed it in front of Vanille. Lowering his voice, he nearly whispered. "Here you go. Don't tell Dajh I served you first or he'll throw a fit."

"I heard that, daddy!" Dajh shouted from the other room. "I'm _so_ hungry."

"Your sandwich will be done soon, Dajh," Sazh called back immediately as he walked to the stove and began making another one.

Vanille smiled faintly as she began to pick at her food. "I hope Fang's okay upstairs. Maybe I should go check on her."

"I'm sure she's fine," Sazh replied with a shrug. "I wouldn't interrupt. If she's up on a ladder or using any tools, she might fall or drop something."

"How do you fix a roof anyway?" Vanille asked curiously. "I don't even know what Fang's doing up there."

"Well, first she'd have to figure out exactly where the water is coming from and then close up the hole in the roof. If it's taking her this long, it must be a pretty serious leak."

"It is," Fang exclaimed as she suddenly walked into the room. There were damp spots on her clothes and she looked like she had exerted herself quite a bit. Wiping her hands on her sari, Fang exclaimed apologetically, "Vanille, I couldn't fix it just yet. I think we're gonna have to call someone, but they probably won't be able to come out until tomorrow."

"Does that mean we can't sleep in our room?" Vanille asked with a pout.

"Yeah, but that's all right," Fang assured her with a grin. "There're plenty of other rooms here."

"We can't just sleep in someone else's room," Vanille protested in amusement.

"Says who?" Fang asked with a smirk. "Sazh isn't gonna tell anyone, right?"

"Right." He shook his head, laughing. "I already told Vanille you girls could sleep in the basement."

"Well, that's nice of you." Fang smiled gratefully. "Anyway, Vanille, I feel really bad that we can't watch our movie marathon, but while I was upstairs I found two great movies we could see at the theater tonight."

"Really?" Vanille's eyes widened hopefully. "You mean we can go outside? Do you think it's safe?"

Fang nodded, laughing lightly. "I know I've been making you stay in, but I can't keep you in the house forever. It'll be good for you to get some fresh air, even if we're just going right back inside after."

"I'm so excited, Fang!" Vanille exclaimed happily as she hopped out of her seat and used her crutches to move toward the other woman. When she reached Fang, she set her crutches against the wall and hugged her tightly.

"I'm glad," Fang told her gently, kissing the top of her head. "Now, I see you're eating a sandwich. Is there anything for me, Sazh? I've been working hard all morning."

"No, me first!" Dajh cried as he suddenly entered the room.

"Dajh," Sazh warned with a look.

"Sorry, dad." Dajh sighed and plopped down at the table. "I'm just so hungry."

"You're always hungry, son," Sazh exclaimed, laughing as he pulled another sandwich off the frying pan and handed a plate to his son. "Here you go. Eat up. I'll make one for you, too, Fang."

"Thanks," Fang smiled as she guided Vanille back toward the table, picking up her crutches as they went. "Let's finish eating and then we can play a game or something. After that we'll go to the movies, and we'll work out where we're sleeping once we get back."

"Okay," Vanille exclaimed cheerfully as she sat back down.

Xxx

The lights in the movie theater slowly turned back on and people got up and began to walk out as the credits were rolling. Vanille remained in her seat, because it would be difficult enough for her to get out of the room on crutches without everyone rushing past her.

"So, did you like the movies?" Fang asked with a smile as she glanced down at her companion, her arm still draped over her shoulder. "I thought they were both pretty good."

"I liked both, but I _loved_ the second one," Vanille exclaimed as she turned to face Fang with a bright smile. "It was such a beautiful love story. The two main characters were _perfect_ for each other, and I love the way all their friends had love interests and their own stories, too. My favorite couple was the younger brother and his partner."

"They were pretty cute," Fang agreed, sliding her thumb back and forth across Vanille's shoulder. "I'm glad we came. This was definitely worth the ticket price."

"Was there some kind of special?" Vanille asked curiously as she rested her head against Fang's shoulder and glanced up at her. "I've never heard of two movies playing at once. Serah and I went to a few, but they all had just one movie."

"It was a Valentine's Day thing. They called it a double feature," Fang replied with a shrug, glancing around as she noticed that everyone else had filed out. "Are you ready to go? We should probably leave before the next movie starts playing or we'll get in trouble."

"I don't wanna go home." Vanille pouted. "It was really nice getting out of the house."

Fang laughed and stood up, handing Vanille her crutches and helping her out of her seat. "Well, no one says we've gotta go home, but we do have to leave here before they think we're trying to see a third movie for free."

"We don't have to go home?" Vanille asked hopefully. "Where're we gonna go next?"

"I dunno. It's not like I have anything planned," Fang replied cheekily.

Vanille eyed her suspiciously. "That means you _do_ have something planned. Are we gonna do something else, Fang?"

"It's a surprise, Vanille," Fang replied with an impish look as the two of them began to walk out of the theater. "You know how I love surprises."

"I know," Vanille giggled, biting her lip. "Well, I can't wait. I hope it's something good."

"All my surprises are good. We're gonna have to walk a bit though. Think you're up for it? I could carry you."

"I'll be okay, Fang." Vanille used her crutches to keep up with her girlfriend. "I've really gotten used to these things."

"All right. This way then."

Fang led Vanille two blocks down the street, moving slowly so that the younger woman could keep up with her. They turned another corner and doubled back only about half a block before Fang stopped in front of the gates to what appeared to be a large park surrounded by stone walls carved right out of a giant rock structure nearby.

"Fang, I love this park! Are we gonna take a walk together?" Vanille exclaimed happily, but then she frowned. "Won't it be really dark in there? I dunno how long I can walk around in the cold either…"

"Don't worry," Fang told Vanille as she wrapped her arm around her waist and kissed her cheek. "I've got everything planned out. You've just gotta trust me."

Vanille snuggled close to Fang. "I always trust you."

"Good." Fang grinned at her before motioning her to take a few steps forwards.

They stopped in front of the gates and Vanille noticed that there was a long line of people leading into the park. Some kind of ticket booth had been set up in front of the gates, and everyone seemed to shift around in the cold, looking up hopefully. It was clear that the tickets would eventually run out and not everyone would be able to get in.

Fang motioned for Vanille to walk right to the front of the line, where she flashed two tickets at the guard standing in front of the park. He smiled at the two of them, motioning them through the gates as he exclaimed, "Happy Valentine's Day! Enjoy the tour."

"What tour?" Vanille glanced at Fang. "How come you've already got tickets?"

"You know me. I'm always prepared," Fang replied with a smirk as she nudged Vanille forwards. "Come on. The tours start over here."

Vanille gasped as she noticed that the entire park had been lit up with gorgeous strings of lights in shades of white, pink, and red. "This is _so_ beautiful."

"I hear it gets better the farther into the park you go," Fang explained as they stopped in front of yet another line. "We get to ride a tram."

"A what?" Vanille tilted her head curiously.

"It's like a big tour bus without a top, and they're gonna give us hot chocolate since it's cold," Fang replied as she wrapped her arm around Vanille's waist and pulled her closer. "Until then, I'll keep you nice and warm."

Vanille smiled gratefully, pressing against Fang. "I'll keep you warm, too."

"Good." Fang wrapped her other arm around Vanille and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Me either." With a giggle, Vanille nuzzled against Fang's shoulder.

The couple waited for a short while, wrapped in each other's arms, before a large, two-story vehicle pulled up on one of the gravel walking paths that led through the entire park. The vehicle stopped, setting down on the asphalt, and a bell dinged as the driver shouted, "All aboard! All couples are welcome. Show your tickets as you board."

"That's our cue," Fang exclaimed, kissing the top of Vanille's head before pulling away and fishing the tickets out of her pocket. "Come on."

Vanille used her crutches to get to the vehicle, and she was very pleased when several people moved out of her way and motioned her forwards, waiting patiently because they could see that she was injured.

Once Fang and Vanille were safely on the tram, the two of them moved to the back, sitting on the first story because it was most likely colder up top. There were no windows, but even though it was cold, Vanille still did not want to sit on the aisle, so she slid inside the seat.

"This is so exciting," Vanille exclaimed as she set her crutches down on the floor.

Fang nodded in agreement, wrapping her arm around Vanille's shoulders and sliding closer to her. It really was very cold, so she hugged her girlfriend close as she anticipated the hot chocolate that they should be receiving very shortly.

A woman dressed in a tasteful uniform, which included a very fashionable winter jacket, came down the aisle with a small trolley, passing everyone thermoses of hot chocolate with built in straws so that no one would spill. Fang and Vanille each accepted a mug and snuggled close to each other, Vanille resting her cheek against Fang's shoulder as the taller woman wrapped both of her arms around her.

Shortly afterwards, the tram lifted off of the ground, hovering a few feet above the snow and beginning its slow path around the park. All of the trees had been strung with lights, and there were dancers and performers lining the path, filling the night air with romantic music to set the mood. The stars twinkled brightly in the sky, and even though everyone could see their breath, the hot chocolate kept all of the couples warm enough that they could truly enjoy the lovely display.

"This is perfect, Fang," Vanille whispered as she snuggled close to her love.

Fang merely smiled, resting her cheek against the top of Vanille's head.

Xxx

When it was all over, Fang and Vanille returned home to an empty house. It was pitch black outside, but it was still relatively early in the evening, so they both knew Sazh and Dajh must still be at the exhibit. Fang suggested that Vanille allow her to cook something nice for dinner, but as always, Vanille wanted to help, so the two of them spent the next half an hour teasing and nudging each other as they created a perfect meal. After it was all prepared, the two of them reminisced over stories of the past while they ate.

Upon finishing eating and watching Fang clear away the dishes, Vanille exclaimed glumly, "I guess we should decide whether we want to sleep in the basement or not. Do you really think it'd be okay to sleep in someone else's room?"

Fang shrugged. "I dunno. It depends on what you wanna do. We could try to sleep in the living room, too. I know Sazh was worried, but the couch is a futon. It opens up into a bed."

"Really?" Vanille's eyes widened. "I didn't know that."

Fang nodded, smiling as she came around the table and wrapped her arms around Vanille's shoulders. "We can sleep wherever you want. It's your choice."

"If the couch turns into a futon, I guess we should just stay there." Vanille sighed, pouting. "I wish we could sleep in our room. It's Valentine's Day!"

"And?" Fang teased, smirking.

"_And_ it's not fair to have to sleep somewhere where we can't…be close to each other," Vanille replied with a giggle, turning her head to face Fang. "Right?"

"That's true, but who's gonna know?" Fang asked teasingly, pecking her lips. "Now, come on. We better go upstairs and get some things. We'll need pillows and blankets, and we should change into our pajamas, too."

Vanille nodded and pulled herself out of her chair, reaching for her crutches. "Okay. I'm right behind you."

Fang nodded and led Vanille up the stairs, glancing over her shoulder occasionally to make sure that she was all right. When they reached the attic door, Fang turned to face Vanille with a grim look.

"Now, don't be too surprised, okay? I had to move some furniture while I was trying to fix the leak. It looks pretty different in there," Fang explained.

Vanille nodded, smiling faintly. "It can't be _that_ different, Fang."

"You'd be surprised," Fang exclaimed as she pushed the door open.

The younger woman used her crutches to ease her way into the room and gasped with surprise, biting her lip as a faint smile crept onto her face. "Fang, what is this?"

Fang walked into the room, grinning faintly. "I dunno. Who could've done something like this?"

All of the furniture had been moved. The bed was gone, and in its place was a giant tent which covered more than half the room. The flaps of the tent were open, revealing a bed created out of several sleeping mats and a cushion covered in lots of blankets and pillows. A light display had been placed on one of the end tables, which was pushed to the corner of the room, and its beams shined on the ceiling, creating the effect of hundreds of little stars on the roof. The room was completely dark except for the light display, but the illumination gave a feeling of warmth and security.

"Fang," Vanille giggled, "Did you turn our bedroom into a camp site?"

Fang nodded, wrapping her arm around Vanille's waist and leaning close to her. As she brushed her lips against her cheek, she murmured, "You were so disappointed we couldn't go camping. You know what happens to me when you get disappointed."

Vanille grinned, wrapping her arms around Fang's waist. "You always do really sweet stuff when I'm sad. How'd you make it look like there was a leak in here?"

"Oh, you know, I put some water on the ceiling and made a big deal about the buckets," Fang replied with a grin, running her fingers up Vanille's back. "So, still wanna go camping?"

"Of course, Fang," Vanille replied enthusiastically.

The taller woman nudged Vanille gently forwards, helping her take a few steps. Then she shut the bedroom door. She crossed the room and removed any weapons and other sharp instruments she had had while they were outside, and then she took Vanille by the shoulders and helped her walk toward the entrance to the tent.

"You can use your crutches until it's time to lie down," Fang suggested.

Vanille complied, allowing the other woman to help her balance against her crutches as she stepped over the edge of the tent and ducked inside. Then the two of them moved toward the top of the makeshift bed together, at which point Vanille surrendered her crutches to Fang.

Fang set the crutches down on the other side of the tent before she wrapped her arms around Vanille's waist and asked gently, "Do you trust me?"

"Always," Vanille replied, grinning lovingly as she looked into her eyes.

"Then just relax and let me do all the work," Fang replied with a smile as she gently lowered the woman she loved down onto the cushions that she had used to cover the floor.

Once Vanille was situated, Fang crossed the tent and closed the flaps. There was enough light in the room that they could still see each other fairly well, but it was dark enough to set a romantic mood.

Fang returned to Vanille's side, sliding down on top of the blankets and moving closer to her with a smile. "So, what do you think? Was that a pretty good first Valentine's Day?"

Vanille nodded eagerly, scooting sideways as best she could so that she could be closer to Fang. "I really had fun. Thanks for planning all this. I really thought we were just gonna have a movie marathon."

"I know," Fang replied gleefully as she leaned forwards and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "You should know by now I've always got something else planned."

Vanille giggled as she leaned into another kiss. As she pulled back, she exclaimed, "I think we should keep our room like this. I like the tent."

"Yeah?" Fang asked with a teasing grin as she moved closer and wrapped her arm gently around Vanille's waist. "We can leave it this way if you want, but you'll never be able to lie down without me here to help you."

"Then I guess you'll just have to stay in bed with me all the time," Vanille replied with a playful smile. "It probably sounds boring, but I bet we can think of something to do."

"I bet we can," Fang agreed as she brushed her lips against the soft skin of Vanille's neck.

The younger woman breathed in deeply, sliding her fingers up Fang's arms as she pulled the taller woman closer to her.

Fang rolled to the side and propped herself up by the arms, her upper body hovering above Vanille's as she adjusted her angle so that she would not accidentally press against Vanille's injured leg. The two women stared into each other's eyes for a moment, their gazes both playful and loving. With a faint smile, Fang leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to Vanille's lips, tracing the line of her jaw with her fingers.

Vanille smiled warmly as she leaned upwards, initiating another kiss. Her arms slid around Fang's neck, pulling the taller woman against her. A warm feeling began to move through her as they held each other close. Their lips came together, a slow, passionate kiss growing between them, and Vanille hugged Fang even more tightly, loving every moment of their lips and tongues meshing together.

Fang slid her hands up Vanille's abdomen and her chest, her palms sliding over soft fabric in a slow massage. As Vanille moaned quietly, Fang pulled away and kissed her neck, lips trailing downwards until they reached Vanille's collarbone.

Vanille shifted beneath Fang, her head tilted back as her own hands searched for sweeter skin, sliding down Fang's neck and across her chest. She slid her hands beneath her girlfriend's shirt, pushing the sari up over her head and discarding it, and Fang soon followed suit, the two of them gently removing each other's clothes. Soon they were nude and pressing together, hands wandering with practiced skill, and they made love slowly, ever mindful of Vanille's injury, but no less passionately than usual.

After a while they lay together, pleasantly spent. Vanille still felt most comfortable on her back, so Fang pressed close to her from the side, wrapping her strong arms around her waist as the two of them kissed gently.

Vanille smiled, pressing her hand to Fang's cheek. "Today was really amazing, Fang. Thanks for such a great Valentine's Day."

Fang grinned, leaning into another kiss and murmuring, "It's the least I can do. Thanks for such a great life, Vanille. I dunno where I'd be without you, but nothing compares to how amazing this is."

Vanille nodded in agreement and hugged her around the neck as she kissed her again. "Happy Valentine's Day! I love you, Fang!"

"Love you, too."

Xxx

"How's it going in here?" Fang asked as she peeked around the corner into the kitchen.

Serah grinned over her shoulder. "Dinner is almost ready. This was such a good idea, Fang. I never even thought about the whole family having a Valentine's Dinner together. It seemed like it was just a holiday for couples."

"Well, it probably is, but the holiday was technically yesterday, so I think we can get away with it," Fang replied with a shrug, smiling as she glanced at the pot on the stove. "Making pasta?"

"As a side dish. Don't worry, it's a really good meal," Serah assured her laughing.

"I'm sure it is. You're a great cook." Fang glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was listening and walked into the kitchen. "Hey, by the way, how was your getaway?"

"Oh, it was completely amazing," Serah replied with a bright, clearly enamored smile. With a sigh, she exclaimed, "Snow was so wonderful. He was so romantic. We went out to fancy dinners both Friday and Saturday and we went skiing and dancing. It was absolutely perfect. Snow practically proposed to me again to make sure that I still wanted to marry him. I don't know why he would think I didn't. He's such a dummy, but I love him _so_ much."

Fang laughed lightly. "Good. I'm glad you two had a good time."

"What about you and Vanille?" Serah asked, frowning faintly. "I know she's still hurt, but were you able to make the most of it?"

"Oh, I think we did okay," Fang replied vaguely. "Anyway, I better go check on her. Last I saw her, she was trying to convince me she could get boxes of beads out of the closet with one arm while holding her crutches with the other. She really doesn't like not being able to move around."

Serah gasped. "Fang, you can't let her do that! She'll hurt herself."

"That's what I told her, but she doesn't like to listen. I got her to promise she wouldn't keep trying once I left, but I know her too well for that so I better go." Fang waved. "Call us when dinner's ready."

"Okay!"

Fang walked up the stairs to the attic and opened the door just in time to find Vanille standing on her tiptoes balancing herself against the crutches as she tried to reach for yet another box.

"Would you let me do that?" Fang grumbled as she crossed the room and placed her hands on Vanille's hips so the younger woman would not fall.

"I'm okay, Fang," Vanille assured her with a pout as she leaned back against her. "I can do it."

"No, you can't, not yet," Fang argued with a frown, turning Vanille around and wrapping her arms around her. "Listen, Vanille, I know you're bored and you wanna do stuff by yourself, but if you get hurt worse, you're gonna be like this even longer. You can walk around on your own all you want, but please let me get those boxes for you."

"Okay, fine." Vanille sighed, leaning against her. "I just hate this."

"I know." Fang ran her fingers through Vanille's hair, hugging her close. "The time'll go by fast if you let yourself heal."

"Do you promise?" Vanille looked up at her with sad eyes.

"Yes, I promise," Fang exclaimed, pecking her lips. "Now, which boxes do you want?"

"Those two," Vanille replied gently as she pointed up at the ones she wanted.

Fang nodded and released her, stepping forwards and lifting the two boxes out of the closet with ease. She crossed the room, setting them down on the bed, and exclaimed, "There you go. Are you gonna make some more jewelry tonight?"

Vanille nodded vigorously. "I figure if I just keep making jewelry while I'm hurt like this, by summer I'll have enough to open a stand in the market. Then we can make a little extra money."

"By then I'll probably have another job, too," Fang assured her with a smile. "Snow and I have been talking."

"I thought you weren't going back to NORA," Vanille exclaimed curiously.

"I'm not, but I might do something else related to NORA," Fang replied with a shrug as she sat down on the bed. "We don't have to talk about that now though. Nothing's final."

"Will you be in danger?" Vanille pouted.

"I'm always gonna be doing something involving danger," Fang replied with an apologetic smile. "I like danger. It makes things interesting."

"It can also make things really scary," Vanille protested, motioning to her leg.

"I don't like when _you're_ in danger," Fang amended, reaching out and giving Vanille's hand a squeeze. "Your leg'll be all better soon. Then we're gonna start taking martial arts together."

Vanille grinned excitedly.

A crash downstairs distracted the two of them, but they were relieved when they heard Dajh shout, "Bad puppies! Dad, help, they knocked over the table again."

"Dajh, I told you not to play rough with them anymore," Sazh replied loudly.

"I know. I didn't mean it!"

Fang laughed lightly, glancing at Vanille. "You _sure_ you want kids?"

Vanille nodded as she moved forwards and hugged Fang, wrapping her arms around her. "If they're ours, we won't care if they break the furniture."

With a nod, Fang leaned forwards and kissed her lips. As she pulled away, she joked, "As long as they break Lightning's furniture and not ours."

Vanille giggled, shaking her head.

"Dinner's ready, everyone!" Serah suddenly shouted up the stairs.

"Let's go," Fang exclaimed immediately, wrapping her arm around Vanille's waist and helping her toward the door. "I'm starving."

With a nod, Vanille reached for her other crutch, which was propped against the wall, and the two of them began the slow journey down the stairs.

Xxx

Serah's family dinner was more like the spread of a feast, with everything from steak and mashed potatoes to antipasto, pasta salad, and assorted fruits. There was also ham, fish, and a plump loaf of bread which was deliciously crunchy after being toasted for a few minutes.

"Before we start eating, I want to make a toast," Serah exclaimed.

Everyone set down their forks and looked at her, looking depressed that they would not be able to dig in immediately.

With a smile, Serah lifted up her glass. "Here's to a happy meal and really happy lives. I think we'll all be together for a very long time."

"Cheers," Fang exclaimed as she lifted up her own glass.

Everyone else followed suit, and Snow leaned to the side to wrap his arm around Serah's shoulders and pull her close. Kissing her cheek, he murmured, "That was a toast for everyone else's happy lives and for ours. Now that this is over, we can get back to planning the most important day of our lives."

Serah grinned eagerly. "You're right, Snow! I practically forgot. We still have so much to do."

He laughed lightly, hugging her close for a moment before he pulled away to return to his food.

Lightning sat on the other side of the table picking at her food distractedly. She glanced around the table several times, looking like she wanted to speak, but each time she seemed to decide to simply close her mouth. Finally it seemed that she could not hold it in any longer.

Looking at Hope, Lightning asked, "What are you doing here? Don't you have school tomorrow?"

"I'm never going to school again," Hope told Lightning firmly as he cut into his steak.

Lightning narrowed her eyes. "What?"

"I can't go back," Hope replied nonchalantly, garnering everyone else's attention as the table went quiet. "I'll just have to live here or go hide out in the woods."

"Is something wrong, Hope?" Sazh asked gently.

The teenager remained silent, practically burying his face in his food as he tried hard to cut off a piece of his steak. The task was proving quite difficult, most likely due to his frustration, so eventually he dropped his knife onto his plate with a huff and stormed out of the room.

Snow's eyes widened as he stood from the table. "I'll go check on him."

Fang frowned as she watched him go. "I guess Hope's date didn't go well."

Vanille pouted. "Maybe that's not it, Fang. I was hoping he'd have a good time."

Several minutes of silence later, Hope and Snow walked back into the room and sat down at the table. Hope resumed cutting his steak as he mumbled, "Sorry about that. Snow's going to drive me back home after dinner. I don't really want to talk about what happened. It was just, you know, one of those things."

Snow was nodding vigorously, mouthing 'Bad date. Don't ask.'

"I'm really glad we're all here together," Vanille exclaimed happily, trying to distract everyone as she set her fork down. "We're all lucky to have each other."

Even Hope seemed cheered up by her words, and everyone lifted their glasses again.

"To friendship," Fang said as she raised her glass.

"And health," Snow added.

"And getting super rich!" Dajh exclaimed happily.

Everyone paused to look at him.

"What?" He frowned curiously, glancing at his father.

As everyone began to laugh, Serah asked, "Does anyone want to watch a movie tonight? It's early, Hope. You could always go home afterwards."

He shrugged, asking, "What movie?"

"Anything you want."

"Just nothing about girls or relationships or dates," Hope insisted.

Serah smiled faintly. "I'm sure we can find something."

The group resumed eating as pleasant conversation broke out between them, and once the meal was finished, they moved into the living room and turned on the television as Serah and Hope searched for a movie that would not upset the adolescent. When they finally found something, everyone sat down on the couches and chairs, snuggling close together.

Vanille sat on Fang's lap, her partner's arms wrapped around her waist as she rested against her shoulder. As she looked around the room, she noticed that Sazh and Dajh were close together, Sazh's arm wrapped around his son's shoulders. Serah and Snow were cuddling, Lightning was on her laptop, and Hope leaned back against a fluffy pillow, looking completely comfortable. Although Lightning was sitting alone, she had opened her laptop and was almost smiling in her stoic way, so Vanille imagined that she was chatting with someone very important to her.

Now that the ordeal had truly ended, everyone could be happy.

Xxx

Outside the house, the night was completely silent. A white rabbit scurried through the snow, racing away from an unseen predator. A deer poked its head through the trees and looked both ways before padding into the yard. It walked around for a short while, lowering its head, before it suddenly straightened, rigid. Its wide eyes searched the yard around it frantically before it bolted, disappearing through the trees.

A branch creaked, and prying eyes looked through binoculars, slipping uninvited into the family affair.

"What are they doing?"

"Watching a movie."

"What movie?"

"Does it matter?" His words were met by silence. "It looks like a family film, something appropriate for the kid."

"They left the blinds open. They've relaxed."

"Of course, they did. They have no idea what they're involved in, what's beginning." He lowered the binoculars and leaned back against the rough bark of the tree. "It's too late to stop it now."

"Young was just the beginning."

He nodded. "His sacrifice was noble. All their suspicion disappeared."

"If he wasn't weak, he wouldn't have had to make a sacrifice."

"We all have our flaws, Jake."


End file.
